First description of the larva of Psaironeura, based on specimens of P. angeloi from Costa Rica (Odonata: Coenagrionidae: Protoneurinae), with a key to the genera of Central American Protoneurinae

The larva of Psaironeura is formally described for the first time, based upon reared specimens of Psaironeura angeloi from the Tirimbina Biological Reserve, Sarapiquí, Heredia Province, Costa Rica. Detailed illustrations are also provided. The larva is characterized by a slender dark brown body, premental setae 2+1, six palpal setae, male cerci globose, and caudal lamellae…

The dry season governs the reproduction of three pseudostigmatid zygopterans in Costa Rica (Odonata: Pseudostigmatidae)

The large Neotropical zygopterans Megaloprepus caerulatus, Mecistogaster linearis and M. ornata (Pesudostigmatidae) were surveyed during five years, and striking differences in their reproduction patterns were shown: (1) At two study sites in seasonal, tropical semi-dry forests in Pacific Costa Rica, adult M. ornata could be observed throughout the year, occasionally during the dry season up…

The larva of Mecistogaster linearis, with notes on its abundance in lowland rainforest of Costa Rica (Odonata: Pseudostigmatidae)

The larva of Mecistogaster linearis is described and illustrated from specimens collected within or near the Río Dantas Wildlife Refuge at the north-western border of the Barbilla National Park on the Costa Rican Caribbean slope. Characters of F-0 larvae permit easy separation from Megaloprepus caerulatus, a species coexisting with M. linearis. Diagnostic characters include overall…

Abundance and vertical distribution of a bromeliad-dwelling zygopteran larva, Mecistogaster modesta, in a Costa Rican rainforest (Odonata: Pseudostigmatidae)

We compared the larval abundance of Mecistogaster modesta between bromeliads at ground level and canopy level in a primary tropical wet forest. Zygopteran abundance correlated strongly with bromeliad diameter at both levels. Although the per-bromeliad zygopteran abundance did not differ between vertical levels, M. modesta showed a strong vertical distribution in abundance owing to the…

Description of the final stadium larva of Anisagrion allopterum (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

The final stadium larva of Anisagrion allopterum is described for the first time for Middle America, based upon specimens reared and emerging in the field, from Cartago, Province, Costa Rica. Detailed illustrations are also provided. The larva of this species is characterized by a slender yellow body, premental setae 4+1, five palpal setae, male cerci…

Confirming the relationship between body size and perch height in tropical odonates (Odonata: Libellulidae): wet-season contrasts and experimental tests

In a previous study conducted during the dry season at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, mean perch height of libellulid dragonfly species (Odonata: Libellulidae) correlated with male body size, and interactions between species suggested a size-dependent competitive hierarchy. Here, I report on a wet-season study that examined whether seasonal changes in community composition affect…