Revision of Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807) in southwestern Europe and northern Africa, with description of C. b. iberica ssp. nov. from Spain (Anisoptera: Cordulegastridae)

The sspp. from France, Spain and Morocco are redescribed on a statistical basis, taking into account their intrinsic variability. C. b. iberica ssp.n. (holotype S: Spain, Albacete prov.. Sierra de Alcaraz, Puerto de las Crucetillas, alt. ca 1450 m, 18-VII-1989; deposited at Lab. Biol. Insectes, Univ. Nancy-I), which falls between C. b. algirica and C. b. immaculifrons, is described from central and eastern southern Spain. All these sspp. occur in pure populations in some areas, but coexist in other regions, apparently giving rise to hybridization and constituting heterogeneous mixed populations over large territories. Such coexistence cannot constitute a criterion against the conspecific status of these taxa, as was claimed for C. b. boltonii and C. b. trinacriae in Italy; therefore all these taxa are treated here as sspp. of C. boltonii throughout. The range of each ssp, and each type of mixed population is defined and mapped. Exuviae were collected in the most homogeneous areas in France and Spain and their distinctive features were redefined on a statistical basis. With regard to exuviae, C. b. iberica stands closer to C. b. algirica than to C. b. immaculifrons, although it has been previously confused with the latter.