Growth, winter preparations and timing of emergence in temperate zone Odonata: control by a succession of larval response patterns

As warm-adapted insects of tropical origin, Odonata cope with cold periods by seasonal regulation and diapause. A model for larval-overwintering species is proposed with three response patterns related to the timing of emergence, which can be predicted from seasonal cues during the last few stadia. For emergence during the present season, there is an often time constrained pre-emergence development, accelerated by long days and higher temperatures.

Constant and shifting photoperiods as seasonal cues during larval development of the univoltine damselfly Lestes sponsa (Odonata: Lestidae)

Larvae were reared at 21.5°C from eggs from southernmost Sweden, and fed ad libitum to emergence in four different photoperiodic treatments, intended to represent increasing levels of time stress: constant LD 16:8, corresponding to late April (or August) conditions, a shift after about two weeks from LD 16:8 to 19.5:4.5, coarsely simulating late spring, constant…

An emergence study of Petalura gigantea (Odonata: Petaluridae)

Emergence studies in Odonata provide information on the behaviour, ecology and fundamental demographic parameters in population studies. This paper reports on a study of sex ratio at emergence, pattern and duration of the emergence season, and potential cohort splitting in Petalura gigantea. Sex ratio at emergence varied among years, habitat patches and swamp types. Across

Upright emergence in Petalura gigantea (Odonata: Petaluridae)

During the 2003/2004 summer flying season, upright emergence of a male Petalura gigantea was observed and photographed in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales during an extensive survey for the species. This observation differed from the only previous illustration of a hanging back emergence style, and is compared with observations of emergence style for…

Aspects of life history of Platycnemis subdilatata (Zygoptera: Platycnemididae) in Northeast Algeria

The determination of seasonal regulation is important to understand how species have adapted to their local environmental conditions. In this study, we investigate the life history of a North African endemic damselfly, Platycnemis subdilatata, in a northeast Algerian population. We combined field and laboratory investigations to assess the embryonic development, larval growth, emergence pattern and…

Leucorrhinia pectoralis can coexist with fish (Odonata: Libellulidae)

The Palaearctic libellulid Leucorrhinia pectoralis is generally considered to be a species inhabiting fish-free water bodies. Yet, a long-term monitoring study of 38 water bodies in NE Germany resulted in 16 species offish being recorded in reproductive habitats of L. pectoralis, with Rutilus rutilus and Carassius carassius as the most numerous and widespread fish species.