The Fijian genus Nesobasis Selys, 1891 Part 2: Revision in comparison to Nikoulabasis Ferguson et al., 2023 with particular emphasis on Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Koro and erection of 10 new species and one subspecies (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

THOMAS W. DONNELLY, MILEN MARINOV — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +1300

The present monograph reviews all the available material collected as specimens presently classified under two genera Nesobasis Selys, 1891 and Nikoulabasis Ferguson et al., 2023. It was initially planned as a second part of the taxonomic study published by Donnelly (1990) on Nesobasis from the so-called Southern islands of Fiji (Viti Levu, Ovalau and Kadavu), however, the time passed between the two parts resulted in many new additions to the fauna of the whole of the archipelago. The taxonomic and nomenclature changes required us to incorporate old records from the first part in Donnelly (1990), add unpublished data and summarize all available information in the present monograph.

Our results suggest that is it plausible to erect 10 new hypotheses at species level (Nesobasis albistigma sp. nov., Nesobasis auricularis sp. nov., Nesobasis latistyla sp. nov., Nesobasis polhemusi sp. nov., Nesobasis rubra sp. nov., Nesobasis seidenbuschi sp. nov., Nesobasis tillyardi sp. nov., Nesobasis viridis sp. nov., Nikoulabasis crassa sp. nov., Nikoulabasis furcifer sp. nov.) and one at subspecies level (Nikoulabasis furcifer perlmani ssp. nov.) which brings the total of the known species (all members are endemic to Fiji) up to 28 (Nesobasis) and 10 (Nikoulabasis).

Further we describe (by opposition) the opposite sexes of Nesobasis pedata Donnelly, 1990 and N. caerulecaudata Donnelly, 1990 (both females), suggest a probable new ergotaxonomy for the two genera and propose future studies to evaluate the status of taxa hypothesized at the moment as separate: N. caerulecaudata—N. longistyla Selys, 1891 as well as Nikoulabasis comosa (Tillyard, 1924)—N. heteroneura (Tillyard, 1924).

Megataxa

The Fijian genus Nesobasis Selys, 1891 Part 2: Revision in comparison to Nikoulabasis Ferguson et al., 2023 with particular emphasis on Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Koro and erection of 10 new species and one subspecies (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)