Corresponding author: Atilano Contreras-Ramos (
Academic editor: Robin Thomson
A new species of dobsonfly from Venezuela,
Martins CC, de Azevêdo CAS, Hamada N, Grillet ME, Contreras-Ramos A (2022) After a decade, a new Venezuelan species of
In total, 33 species of
Several larvae of
Drawings were made using a drawing tube attached to a stereomicroscope, and then they were vectorized using the program Adobe Illustrator CS6. Series of images of different focus were made using an Olympus TG-4 camera attached to a manual copy stand, posteriorly they were combined using the software HeliconFocus 6.7.1. Drawings and images were edited using the software Adobe Photoshop CS6. A distribution map was produced with the website
We are glad to name this new species after Prof. Ralph W. Holzenthal of the University of Minnesota, as homage to his bright career of research and teaching, motivating several generations of new insect biodiversity professionals.
Head and pronotum pale reddish brown (Figs
Dorsal habitus of
Head and pronotum of
Head structures of
Wings of
Male genitalia of
Structures of male genitalia of
Venezuela (Bolívar).
Larvae of the new species were collected under rocks near river banks and under the roots of aquatic
Habitat and distribution of
Modified from
1 | Abdomen: ectoproct short and broad ( |
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– | Abdomen: ectoproct elongate, tubular (Fig. |
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2 | Head: strongly patterned with brownish and yellowish areas ( |
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– | Head: unpatterned ( |
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3 | Head: postocular spine well developed ( |
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– | Head: postocular spine slightly developed ( |
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4 | Abdomen: gonostylus 9 subclavate ( |
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– | Abdomen: gonostylus 9 uniformly tubular ( |
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5 | Abdomen: sternite 9 modified, with posteromedian projection ( |
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– | Abdomen: sternite 9 unmodified, subquadrate (Fig. |
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6 | Abdomen: sternite 9 sub-attenuate, noticeably more sclerotized posteromedially ( |
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– | Abdomen: sternite 9 with posteromedian projection ( |
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7 | Abdomen: posteromedian projection of sternite 9 large (nearly as long as sternum), thumblike ( |
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– | Abdomen: posteromedian projection of sternite 9 small (~ 1/2 as long as sternum), narrow ( |
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8 | Abdomen: gonostylus 9 elongate, somewhat flattened or tubular ( |
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– | Abdomen: gonostylus 9 subclavate (Fig. |
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9 | Abdomen: gonostylus 9 narrower and noticeably shorter than ectoproct ( |
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– | Abdomen: gonostylus 9 and ectoproct subequal in length and shape ( |
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10 | Abdomen: gonostylus 9 somewhat flattened ( |
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– | Abdomen: gonostylus 9 tubular ( |
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11 | Head: reddish brown (Fig. |
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– | Head: yellowish to greenish brown; Thorax: pronotum yellowish to greenish brown; Abdomen: ectoproct apex with well-developed incurvation ( |
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12 | Forewing: contrastingly patterned ( |
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– | Forewing: not so contrastingly patterned (Fig. |
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13 | Forewing: pale, clear, nearly translucent, few subtle small white spots ( |
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– | Forewing: rather opaque, uniformly pale reddish (Fig. |
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14 | Head: anterior margin of clypeus with medial projection well developed and deeply incised (Fig. |
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– | Head: anterior margin of clypeus with flat to slightly concave, with shallow incision (Fig. |
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15 | Head: antenna conspicuously subserrate, sinuate ( |
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– | Head: antenna slightly subserrate; Abdomen: gonocoxites 10 without anteromedian projection ( |
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16 | Head: antenna, including scape and pedicel, pale to dark brown, apically infuscate ( |
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– | Head: antenna, including scape and pedicel, yellow to yellowish green, up to distal 1/3 infuscate ( |
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We are grateful to Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (IBUNAM) for general support. CCM acknowledges Programa de Becas