Breaking the mold: a new genus of Coenagrionidae (Odonata: Zygoptera) from a Brazilian Amazon protected area, with preliminary phylogenetic insights

A new genus and species of Coenagrionidae (Zygoptera: Odonata) is described from a remote and protected area in the Brazilian Amazon. The new taxon, Kuiagrion hamadae gen. n. et sp. n., displays a unique combination of morphological features, including a caudally projected pronotum in both sexes, fused ventrobasal and dorsal branches of the cerci, a genital ligula with distinctive lateral lobes, and reduced paraprocts. Diagnostic features, illustrations of both sexes, and molecular data based on COI sequences are provided. Phylogenetic analyses using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference place this new taxon within the core Coenagrionidae, although its morphological traits suggest affinities with the ‘ridged frons’ clade. This incongruence between molecular and morphological data raises new questions regarding character interpretation and phylogenetic signal within the family. This discovery highlights the importance of systematic surveys in understudied Amazonian ecosystems. Moreover, it underscores the relevance of long-term research and monitoring programs, such as ICMBio’s Monitora Aquático, in advancing biodiversity knowledge and reducing existing knowledge gaps.