Systematics of the Nososticta salomonis complex (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platycnemididae) Author Theischinger, Günther Author Mitchell, Andrew Australian Museum, Entomology, 1 William Street, Sydney, N. S. W. 2010, Australia Author Richards, Stephen J. 0000-0002-0251-3884 Herpetology Department, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, S. A. 5000, Australia steve. richards @ samuseum. sa. gov. au; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 0251 - 3884 steve.richards@samuseum.sa.gov.au Author Polhemus, Dan A. Dept. of Natural Sciences, Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St., Honolulu, HI, 96817 USA text Zootaxa 2023 2023-05-26 5296 2 101 146 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5296.2.1 journal article 53415 10.11646/zootaxa.5296.2.1 06dd5db0-bae0-40fe-8c7f-14b6d87ceabc 1175-5326 7978135 87CF3B54-A6EE-4650-8C4B-0D7378CB32C3 Key to the species of the Nososticta salomonis complex 1a - From Solomon Islands ( Map 1 ); (Pls 7, 8)........................................................ N. salomonis 1b - From Indonesia and Papua New Guinea ( Maps 2–4 ).......................................................... 2 2a - Male S2 with distinct blue dorsal marking ( Figs 55, 56 )....................................................... 3 2b - Male S2 without distinct blue dorsal marking............................................................... 4 FIGURES 55–65. Nososticta species. (55, 56) male abdominal segment 2, dorsal: (55) N. africana (Schmidt) ; (56) N. tagula sp. nov. ; (57–65) synthorax, schematically: (57) N. africana (Schmidt) , female; (58) N. tagula sp. nov. , female; (59, 60) N. hedigeri sp. nov. : (59) male; (60) female; (61, 62) N. stueberi sp. nov. : (61) male; (62) female; (63) N. chrismulleri Theischinger & Richards , male; (64, 65) N. boonei sp. nov. : (64) female; (65) male. 3a - Male S2 with distinct antero-dorsal mark or pair of marks and postero-dorsal mark ( Fig. 55 ); poststernum in both sexes with very dark well-defined wing-shaped mark ( Figs 57 ); Bismarck Archipelago ; a single surprising record from north-eastern New Guinea ( Map 2 ).............................................................................. N. africana 3b - Male S2 with distinct postero-dorsal mark only ( Fig. 56 ); poststernum in both sexes without very dark well-defined wing-shaped mark ( Fig. 58 ); from Tagula in the Lousiade Archipelago ( Map 3 )........................... N. tagula sp. nov. 4a - Male ante-humeral patches separated by stalked Y- shaped, black median area ( Fig. 59 ); female ante-humeral patches reverse comma-shaped, bent, markedly shorter than one half the length of mesanepisternum ( Fig. 60 ); from Bougainville Island ( Map 1 )................................................................................. N. hedigeri sp. nov. 4b - Male ante-humeral patches separated by variably trapezoidal black median area ( Figs 61, 63, 65 ); female ante-humeral patches not reverse comma-shaped or bent ( Figs 62, 64 )............................................................. 5 5a - Both sexes with ante-humeral patch shorter than one half the length of mesanepisternum ( Figs 61, 62 ); from northern and eastern New Guinea ( Map 4 )............................................................. N. stueberi sp. nov. 5b - Both sexes with ante-humeral patch longer than one half the length of mesanepisternum ( Figs 63–65 ); from southern New Guinea ( Map 4 )....................................................................................... 6 6a - Male with medial and apical margin of ante-humeral patch sinuous or curved and metepimeral patch convex in dorsal half ( Fig. 63 ) and with abdominal segment 7 dorsally unmarked; known only from Western Province , Palmer River Catchment, upper Fly River basin ( Map 4 )....................................................................... N. chrismulleri 6b - Male with medial and apical margin of ante-humeral patch almost straight, metepimeral patch not convex in dorsal half ( Fig. 65 ) and with abdominal segment 7 with pair of separate or connected bluish spots anterior to a rather diffuse and ill-defined bluish area; female with large bluish antero-dorsal patch on abdominal segment 7; known from Gulf Province , Kikori River basin ( Map 4 ).......................................................................... N. boonei sp. nov .