Revision of Vanuatubasis Ober & Staniczek, 2009 (Odonata, Coenagrionidae), with description of seven new species

Zookeys. 2022 Nov 9:1128:129-169. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1128.89751. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Vanuatubasis Ober & Staniczek, 2009 is an endemic genus of damselfly found on the island archipelago of Vanuatu. Previously only three species were assigned to the genus. Here, all known species of Vanuatubasis are formally described and treated, including the association of females for known species. The following new congeners are also described: V.discontinua sp. nov., V.evelynae sp. nov., V.insularivorum sp. nov., V.kapularum sp. nov., V.nunggoli sp. nov., V.rhomboides sp. nov., and V.xanthochroa sp. nov. from material collected across six different islands. An illustrated key to both males and females of all species within Vanuatubasis is provided as well as distributions for all known species.

Keywords: Damselflies; Nesobasis; South Pacific; Vanuatu; taxonomy.

Grants and funding

National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology BYU Sant Grant BYU Research Experience for Undergrads BYU Kennedy Center for International Studies International Dragonfly Fund