TitleNew status for Fraser's forgotten Aciagrion approximans krishna, stat. nov (Odonata: Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) from the Western Ghats of India
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2016
AuthorsJoshi S, Kosterin OE, Kunte K
JournalInternational Journal of Odonatology
Volume19
Issue1-2
Start Page41
Pagination41-51
Date Published07/2016
Abstract

Aciagrion Selys, 1891 is one of the taxonomically difficult and poorly known genera of Oriental damselflies. Aciargion hisopa race krishna Fraser, 1921 Fraser, F. C. (1921). A list of dragonflies from Mahableshwar. The Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 25, 540543. Retrieved from http://medusa.jcu.edu.au was described from Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, India. However, later Fraser (1933 Fraser, F. C. (1933). The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma: Odonata (Vol. 1). London: Taylor and Francis.) doubted the taxonomic necessity of this taxon. His notion of Aciagrion hisopa (Selys, 1876) was erroneous, as evidenced by syntypes of this species in Selys’ collection, so the ssp. krishna is not conspecific with A. hisopa. Topotypic specimens of ssp. krishna from the Western Ghats were compared to specimens of Aciagrion approximans (Selys, 1876) from the Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, which are topotypical because of the recent designation of the neotype of this species in Selys’ collection. These two series were found to be very close to each other but differing at the level of subspecies, so we propose a new subspecies status and combination, Aciagrion approximans krishna Fraser, 1921 Fraser, F. C. (1921). A list of dragonflies from Mahableshwar. The Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 25, 540543. Retrieved from http://medusa.jcu.edu.au. The range and geographical variation of A. approximans beyond India is clarified.

DOI10.1080/13887890.2016.1166463