Abstract
Microneura caligata (Hagen in Selys, Citation1886) is an endangered damselfly presently known from five localities in the central mountains of Cuba. The precise systematic position of this species within the former Neotropical Protoneuridae has been the subject of debate, with previous results from a phylogenetic analysis based on morphology suggesting that the genus Microneura should be placed within the genus Protoneura. Here, we used mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequencing to disentangle the taxonomic status of this species. Our results show that Microneura belongs to the Protoneura clade, thus making Microneura a junior synonym of Protoneura. Finally, we provide notes on some observations of emergence and ovipositing behaviour of this species.
Acknowledgements
MOL-C is supported by the European Commission, through an Individual European Marie Curie Fellowship (PIEFGA-2013-626504—ODOGEN). SF is supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/65038/2009). YT-C is supported by a project Ciencia y Conciencia funded by Universidad de Oriente (project code 9617) and a WDA Conservation Research Grant. AC-R was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2010-11959-E and CGL2011-22629, including FEDER funds) and a grant from Xunta de Galicia (CN2012/196). Arjen Van't Hof, Rocio Gea Couto and Y. Lázaro Rodríguez Montelier provided valuable help during fieldwork. Two anonymous reviewers gave comments on early versions of the manuscript.