A revision of the picta group of Polythore, with a description of a new species, P. lamerceda spec. nov., from Peru (Zygoptera: Polythoridae)

The picta group of the genus Polythore, to which is assigned gigantea (Sel.), procera (Sel.), picta (Ramb.), derivata (McL.), terminata Fr. (new status), and lamerceda sp. n. (holotype $, allotype $, Mus. Zool., Univ, Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; LaMerced, Junin Dept, Peru, 13-VI-1931), is analyzed, and these spp. are redescribed and figured. Body color pattern, male abdominal appendages, and female mesostigmal lamina are too similar to be of taxonomic value. Males are differentiated on length and shape of penis horns and on wing color pattern, females only on the latter. Analysis of these characteristics showed much interdemic variation, but it was either insufficient to meet the 90% joint non overlap criterion or too discordant for the erection of new subspecies. F.C. FRASER’s (1946, Trans. R. enl. Soc. Land. 96: 11-46) "races”, adjuncta, ambigua, and originata are invalid, but his "race”, terminata is given full specific status. The picta group occurs almost entirely in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.