Description of Calopteryx splendens erevanense - translation from original russian text.

Calopteryx splendens taurica Bartenef, 1919 – Calopteryx splendens tschaldirica Bartenef & Popova, 1928

Males have a dark band on the wings between the nodus and the wing tip, mostly at a distance of 0 – 16 cells from the node (average: 4 – 10 cells). The inner border of the band in most cases has a very steep curvature which turns to the wing base.
The difference between the distance from the (dark) band from the nodus on the frontside of the wing and that distance at the place where it comes closest to the wing base is 0 – 5 cells from the costa (wing frontside) (average: 1 – 3 cells).
The dark band in the vast majority of specimens does not reach the wingtip; there is a clear colourless spot.
Between the tip and the dark band are 0-33 cells, 0 – 5 mm (average 11 – 19 cells, 2,5 – 4 mm).
Females do not have a dark zone on the wing. Venation of the wings of both sexes metallic, with an unsharp sexual dimorfism.

Antenodal crossveins in males: 19 – 31 (average: 24-28), females 19 – 28 (average: 22 – 24).
Males: inner cells of anal field in forewing 1 – 16 (average: 5 – 9), in hindwing: 4 – 20 (average: 8 – 13); females in forewing 1 – 7 (average 3 – 5), in hindwing 2 – 10 (average 5 – 8).
Lenght of pterostigma in females equals 2 – 7 cells of the radial field (average 3 – 5 cells).

Males. Dark wingband doesn’t reach the wingtip, there is a clear spot. In some populations of the subspecies the distance from the outer foreborder of the band to the wingtip measures in cells from the foreborder in average 11 – 19 cells; in rare cases this distance varies from 33 to 0 cells, this means that the dark zone sometimes reaches the wingtip (2 males on 100 searched).

In the hindwing the average distance from the band to the wingtip equals 9 – 18 cells, but in rare cases 0 – 34 cells.
The inner border of the dark zone has a kind of very steep arch, which turns to the wing base. In the forewing this curve begins on the fore-border in average on 4 – 9 cells distal from the nodus, in rare cases up to 15 cells distal from the nodus.
At the place where it comes closest to the wing base in the forewing it stays distal from the nodus in average 3 – 7 cells, in extreme cases it lays proximal 2 cells from the nodus up to distal 13 cells.
The difference between the beginning of the dark band on the foreside of the wing and the place where it comes closest to the base equals in average 1 – 2 cells, in (extreme cases 0 – 4 cells.

In the hindwing measures go in the same way. The beginning of the band on the foreside lays in average 6 – 10 cells distal from the nodus in extreme cases 1 – 16 cells. The place where the band comes closest to the wing base lies in average 3 – 7 cells distally from the nodus, and in extreme cases may reach to 1 cell proximal from the nodus or be at 13 cells distally.

The difference between the beginning of the band on the foreside and the place where it comes closest to the wing base are generally 2 – 3 cells, in extreme cases 0 – 5 cells.
There are in average 24 – 28 antenodal crossveins, sometimes 19-31.
In average there are 5 – 9 cells internal cells of the anal field, in exceptionnal cases 1 – 16, in the hindwing in average 8 – 13, in extreme cases 4 – 20.
Lenght of hindwing 27 – 34 mm, width 8 – 12 mm.

A dark band is absent. In some populations there are in average 22 – 24 antenodal crossveins, sometimes 19 – 28. In average 3 – 5 internal anal field cells in the forewing, from 1 – 7; in hindwing in average 5 – 8, from 2 – 10.
Lenght of pterostigma equals in average 3 – 5 radial field cells, in extreme cases 2 – 6 cells. Lenght of hindwing 29 – 34 mm, width 8 – 12 mm.

From the many subspecies of Calopteryx splendens (Harris), where males have a dark zone on the wing reaching the wingtip (Eastern subspecies group, according to Bartenef), suddenly this one differs by staying free of the wingtip.
From C. splendens splendens it differs in a less finely divided wing venation and in the even curvature of the inner border of the dark band.
It comes closest to C. splendens amasinum (Bartenef), on one side and to C. spl. tauricum (Selys) and C. spl. tshaldiricum (Bartenef) on the other side, taking an intermediate position between these.
From C. s. amasinum it differs in having a less developped dark wing band, and from C. s. tauricum & C. s. tshaldiricum in having a more developped one.
In C. s. amasinum the clear wing tip measures 1 – 1.5 mm, in our subspecies 2,5 – 4 mm in average; and in C. s. tauricum and C. s. tshaldiricum 6 – 8 mm.
In C. s. amasinum the band begins at 1 – 2 cells from the nodus in the direction of the wing tip, in our subspecies 0 – 16 (average 4-10- cells in the direction of the wingtip, and in C. s. tauricum & tshaldiricum in 2 – 12 cells distally from the nodus. In these last two subscpecies normally the dark zone doesn’t reach the hind border of the wing, leaving along that border a narrow transparent stripe. This is unknown in our subspecies, except in atypical cases.

Holotype (fig. 1) originates from suburbs of Yerevan ("River Zanga, neighbourhood of Nor-Kochba, 29 VII 1935, exp. Univ. Armenia": 1 male). Beginning of dark zone on foreside of forewing 7 cells, closest place to wing base 5 – 6 cells; foreside hindwing 8 – 9 cells, closest place 5 – 6 cells. Band stays from wingtip in forewing 4 mm, 15-16 cells, in hindwing 3 mm, 16 cells. 27-28 antenodal crossveins in forewing. In the anal field from the forewing 3 – 4 basal, 22 – 23 periferal, 3 – 8 internal cells. In the anal field of the hindwing 3 – 4 basal, 26-29 periferal, 8 – 9 internal cells. Length hindwing 29 mm, width 8 mm.

The holotype is deposited in the collection of the Zoological Institute of the Armenian Academy of Sciences in Yerevan.
Paratypes, the complete remaining material of 99 males and 69 females (see higher) are deposited there, and also in the collection of the Zoological Institute of the Academy of Sciences SSSR in Leningrad.
Very common dragonflies in the Middle Araks district, from the lower semidesert to the steppe zone. In the mountains lives up to 1900 m. Endemic in the Middle Araks district of the Northern Iranian subprovince.