Genus Teinobasis Kirby, 1890
fineliners

Synonyms:

• scientific: Seychellibasis Kennedy, 1920 [alluaudi]

Type species: Telebasis superba Selys, 1877

Introduction

Most of the almost 70 species are found on New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. We treat Teinobasis from the Seychelles, Madagascar and eastern Africa as a single species. T. alluaudi is fairly large (hindwing 20-27 mm) but very slender, abdomen appearing nearly twice as long as the wings. It is largely orange to red with maturity, with bronzy black dorsa of head and thorax, and largely blackish abdominal segments 4-7. Sometimes the thorax is greenish: these individuals may not yet be reproductively active. The species is known from swampy forest on the coast of Kenya and Tanzania (including Zanzibar and Pemba), as well as northern Malawi. [Adapted from Dijkstra & Clausnitzer 2014]

Diagnosis

Male of genus is similar to Ceriagrion by (a) size, Hw under 35 mm, Abd under 40 mm; (b) transverse ridge on frons present; (c) postocular spots absent; (d) transverse ridge present on frons anterior to antennae or Abd extensively orange or red and without blue, or both; (e) thorax without interpleural band; (f) black markings generally scarce, humeral and metapleural sutures at most with dark spots in fossae; (g) cerci rarely longer than paraprocts and never forcipate. However, differs by (1) less widespread, and ranging from coastal Kenya to Malawi; (2) body exceptionally slender, rather than of normal build; (3) thorax with middorsal black band, rather than without; (4) Cux distinctly closer to Ax2 than to Ax1, rather than being halfway between; (5) distal border of quadrilateral aligned with both underlying cross-veins, anal vein running straight between them; (6) anal vein follows posterior border of wing for some distance distal to Cux, thus appearing to originate well distal to it, rather than originating at or well proximal from Cux; (7) cerci with thick lower branch, rather than without. [Adapted from Dijkstra & Clausnitzer 2014; this diagnosis not yet verified by author]

Map citation: Clausnitzer, V., K.-D.B. Dijkstra, R. Koch, J.-P. Boudot, W.R.T. Darwall, J. Kipping, B. Samraoui, M.J. Samways, J.P. Simaika & F. Suhling, 2012. Focus on African Freshwaters: hotspots of dragonfly diversity and conservation concern. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 10: 129-134.

References

• Dijkstra, K.-D.B. (2007). The name-bearing types of Odonata held in the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe, with systematic notes on Afrotropical taxa. Part 2: Zygoptera and species descriptions. International Journal of Odonatology 10, 137-170. [PDF file]
• Dijkstra, K.-D.B, and Clausnitzer, V. (2014). The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Eastern Africa: handbook for all Odonata from Sudan to Zimbabwe. Studies in Afrotropical Zoology, 298, 1-264.
• Pinhey, E.C.G. (1966). Check-list of dragonflies (Odonata) from Malawi, with description of a new Teinobasis Kirby. Arnoldia, 2, 1-24. [PDF file]

Citation: Dijkstra, K.-D.B (editor). African Dragonflies and Damselflies Online. http://addo.adu.org.za/ [2024-10-30].