Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2026-08-11
Page range: 329-342
Abstract views: 297
PDF downloaded: 9

Description of the final instar of Acanthagrion kennedii Williamson, 1916 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), with notes on reproductive behavior

Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia - PPGZOOL; Universidade Federal do Pará - UFPA; Belém; Brazil; Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação - LABECO; Universidade Federal do Pará; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - ICB; Rua Augusto Correia; No. 1 Bairro Guamá; CEP 66.075-110 Belém; Pará; Brazil
Independent external collaborators
Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia - PPGZOOL; Universidade Federal do Pará - UFPA; Belém; Brazil; Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação - LABECO; Universidade Federal do Pará; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - ICB; Rua Augusto Correia; No. 1 Bairro Guamá; CEP 66.075-110 Belém; Pará; Brazil
Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação - LABECO; Universidade Federal do Pará; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - ICB; Rua Augusto Correia; No. 1 Bairro Guamá; CEP 66.075-110 Belém; Pará; Brazil; Independent external collaborators
Odonata Nymph Morphology Emergence Neotropical region

Abstract

The final larval instar (F-0) of Acanthagrion kennedii Williamson, 1916 is described based on specimens collected in eastern Amazonia (Pará State, Brazil) and reared in the laboratory until adult emergence to confirm species identity. The larva is assigned to Group II sensu Novelo-Gutiérrez (2009). Diagnostic comparisons are provided with morphologically similar species of Group II. Ecological observations indicate an association with macrophyte-rich habitats and describe aspects of reproductive behavior, including territoriality and oviposition mode. This study contributes to reducing the knowledge gap regarding larval stages in Acanthagrion Selys, 1876, for which descriptions remain scarce.

References

  1. Anjos-Santos, D., Carriço, C., Costa, J.M. & Santos, T.M. (2011) Description of the final instar larvae of Acanthagrion gracile (Rambur) and Acanthagrion lancea Selys (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Zootaxa, 2832 (1), 44–50. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2832.1.2
  2. Calvert, P.P. (1909) Contributions to a knowledge of the Odonata of the Neotropical region, exclusive of Mexico and Central America. Annals of the Carnegie Museum, 6 (3), 73–280. https://doi.org/10.5962/p.202300
  3. De Marmels, J. (1984) Oxyagrion fluviatile sp. n. from Venezuela, with notes on Oxyagrion cardinale Fraser (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Boletín de Entomología Venezolana, NS, 3, 21–28.
  4. De Marmels, J. (1989) Hallazgo de Odonata nuevos para Venezuela o poco conocidos. Boletín de Entomología Venezolana, 5 (7), 54–57.
  5. De Marmels, J. (1990) Notas sobre dos “formas” en Acanthagrion fluviatile (De Marmels, 1984) y una descripción de la náyade (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Boletín de Entomología Venezolana, 5 (15), 116–122.
  6. De Marmels, J. (2007) Thirteen new Zygoptera larvae from Venezuela (Calopterygidae, Polythoridae, Pseudostigmatidae, Platystictidae, Protoneuridae, Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica, 36 (1), 27–51.
  7. De Marmels, J.D. (1992) Caballitos del Diablo (Odonata) de las Sierras de Tapirapecó y Unturán, en el extremo sur de Venezuela. Acta Biológica Venezolana, 14 (1), 57–78.
  8. Fraser, F.C. (1946) Notes on Amazonian Odonata in the Leeds Museum. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London, 96 (2), 11–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2311.1946.tb00441.x
  9. Garrison, R.W. (1985) Acanthagrion speculum spec. nov., a new damselfly from Costa Rica (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica, 14 (1), 37–44.
  10. Geijskes, D.C. (1941) Notes on Odonata of Surinam. Part II. Six mostly new zygopterous nymphs from the coastal waters. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 34, 719–734. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/34.4.719
  11. Geijskes, D.C. (1943) Notes on Odonata of Surinam. IV. Nine new or little known zygopterous nymphs from the inland waters. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 36 (2), 165–184. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/36.2.165
  12. Gloger, H. (1967) Sobre Acanthagrion (Odonata, Coenagrionidae) y géneros próximos. Acta Zoologica Lilloana, 21, 45–58.
  13. Guillermo-Ferreira, R. & Del-Claro, K. (2012) Reproductive behavior of Acanthagrion truncatum Selys, 1876 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). International Journal of Odonatology, 15 (4), 299–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2012.740596
  14. Gutiérrez, Y., Freitas, H.L. & Oliveira, E.E. (2015) Acanthagrion viridescens (Odonata: Coenagrionidae): description of the final larval stadium and biological notes. Zootaxa, 4057 (1), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4057.1.8
  15. Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) (2026) Sistema de Avaliação do Risco de Extinção da Biodiversidade (SALVE).
  16. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (2026) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2023-2.
  17. Leonard, J.W. (1977) A revisionary study of the genus Acanthagrion (Odonata: Zygoptera). Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, 153, 1–173.
  18. Lozano, F. (2011) Filogenia del género Acanthagrion Selys (Odonata, Coenagrionidae) y revisión sistemática del grupo viridescens. Doctoral thesis, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina, 04496, 469 pp. https://doi.org/10.35537/10915/82912
  19. Lozano, F., Garré, A. & Pessacq, P. (2007) Descripción del último estadio larval de Acanthagrion aepiolum (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina, 66 (1–2), 1–4.
  20. Lozano, F., Rodríguez, J.S. & Molineri, C. (2017) Acanthagrion peruvianum Leonard, 1977 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), a junior subjective synonym of A. floridense Fraser, 1946, and description of its final stadium larva. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 270, 71–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcz.2017.10.002
  21. Machado, A.B.M. (2012) The apicale species group of Acanthagrion, with description of four new species and hook-moving apparatus (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica, 41 (3), 201–223.
  22. Mendoza-Penagos, C.C. & Miranda-Filho, J. (2026) Guía para la preparación de imágenes de Odonata para publicaciones científicas. In: Métodos de Colecta, Preservación y Manejo de Odonata, número especial del Boletín Hetaerina. Boletín de la Sociedad de Odonatología Latinoamericana, 63, 1–20.
  23. Muzón, J., Von Ellenrieder, N. & Pessacq, P. (2001) Description of the last larval instar of Acanthagrion hildegarda (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina, 60 (1–2), 95–98.
  24. Novelo-Gutiérrez, R. (2009) Description of the larva of Acanthagrion quadratum Selys, with a key to the known larvae of the genus (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica, 38 (4), 321–328.
  25. Oliveira, V.C. & Pes, A.M.O. (2019) Inventário da fauna de insetos aquáticos: coleta, preservação e criação. In: Hamada, N., Nessimian, J.L. & Querino, R.B. (Eds.), Insetos aquáticos na Amazônia brasileira: taxonomia, biologia e ecologia. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, pp. 151–167.
  26. Paulson, D., Schorr, M., Abbott, J., Bota-Sierra, C., Deliry, C., Dijkstra, K.-D.B. & Lozano, F. (Coordinators) (2026) World Odonata List. OdonataCentral, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
  27. Pessacq, P., Muzón, J. & Von Ellenrieder, N. (2005) Description of the last larval instar of Acanthagrion ablutum Calvert (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica, 34 (1), 73–76.
  28. Rambur, P. (1842) Histoire Naturelle des Insectes: Névroptères. Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret, Paris, xvii + 534 pp.
  29. Román-Heracleo, J., Springer, M. & Novelo-Gutiérrez, R. (2019) Descriptions of the larvae of Acanthagrion speculum and A. trilobatum from Costa Rica (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Zootaxa, 4624 (2), 277–290. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4624.2.5
  30. Schmidt, E. (1942) Odonata nebst Bemerkungen über die Anomisma und Chalcopteryx des Amazonas Gebiets. In: Titschack, E. (Ed.), Beiträge zur Fauna Perus nach der Ausbeute der Hamburger Südperu-Expedition 1936. Bd. 2. Hamburg, pp. 225–276.
  31. Selys Longchamps, E.de (1876a) Tableau systématique des huit premiers sous-genres du genre Agrion. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique, 19, 34–37.
  32. Selys Longchamps, E.de (1876b) Synopsis des Agrionines. 5me Légion: Agrion (suite). Le genre Agrion. Bulletin de l’Académie Royale de Belgique, Classe des Sciences, (2) 41, 247–322, 496–539, 1233–1309.
  33. Tennessen, K.J. (2004) Acanthagrion aepiolum sp. nov. from South America (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). International Journal of Odonatology, 7 (1), 79–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2004.9748197
  34. Vilela, D.S., Venancio, H. & Santos, J.C. (2020) Final instar larva of Acanthagrion truncatum Selys, 1876 (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Zootaxa, 4881 (2), 381–389. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4881.2.12
  35. von Ellenrieder, N. & Lozano, F. (2008) Blues for the red Oxyagrion: a redefinition of the genera Acanthagrion and Oxyagrion (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). International Journal of Odonatology, 11 (1), 95–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2008.9748315
  36. Watson, M.C. (1956) The utilization of mandibular armature in taxonomic studies of anisopterous nymphs. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 81, 155–205.
  37. Williamson, E.B. (1916) On certain Acanthagrions including three new species (Odonata). Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 42, 301–316.

How to Cite

Miranda-Filho, J.C., Vinagre, S.F., Juen, L. & Mendoza-Penagos, C.C. (2026) Description of the final instar of Acanthagrion kennedii Williamson, 1916 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), with notes on reproductive behavior. Zootaxa, 5866 (2), 329–342. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5866.2.8