The larva of Polythore spaeteri Burmeister & Börzsöny, with comparison to other polythorid larvae and molecular species assignment (Zygoptera: Polythoridae)

The larva from the area of Panguana (Huanuco prov., Peru) is described. This constitutes the first description of a Polythore. P-distance measuring of a 790 bp long fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene was used as a tool for the assignment of the larva. The low degree of sequence divergences between larval and imaginal COI sequences leaves no doubt about conspecificity. The use of scanning electron microscopy gives an impression of some morphological characters not mentioned so far concerning polythorid larvae. Comparison of the P. spaeteri larva with the few currently available descriptions of polythorid larvae shows that characterisation of the larvae at generic level is not possible until more larval specimens of the family are examined.