Rhionaeschna mutata is a rare North American dragonfly that is considered a species of concern or threatened throughout its range. It is most widely distributed in the eastern USA, but recent adult records indicate that its range extends further north and west than previously known. Effective conservation planning for rare species requires understanding their habitat…
Distribution and abundance of sympatric Mnais costalis and M. pruinosa damselflies were studied in a low mountain stream in Shiga, Japan, from 2008 through 2012. The reproductive seasons of the two species overlapped almost entirely: both species emerged in early May and disappeared in late June each year. Males of both species hold territories within…
The department of Ñeembucú, in south-western Paraguay, is home to the virtually unexplored Ñeembucú Wetlands, the second largest wetland system in the country, representing a major gap in biodiversity knowledge. As organisms ubiquitous with wetlands, the Odonata, or dragonflies (Anisoptera) and damselflies (Zygoptera), have the potential to be effective indicators of wetland habitats in the…
In a field study carried out in 2011 and 2014 adult dragonflies were identified as a rapid and easy-to-use means of assessing habitat quality and biological integrity of Mediterranean streams and rivers in the province of Barcelona (Region Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula). The study included sampling sites from five different river catchments: Besòs, Foix, Llobregat, Ter…
The microdistribution patterns of larval Gomphus graslinii and Oxygastra curtisii in three rivers in southern France were studied. While G. graslinii was caught mainly in sandy reaches covered with leaf litter, O. curtisii was found almost exclusively clinging to alder roots at the river margins. Preferences of habitat structure were determined from habitat selection experiments…
Mitigation measures carried out at the regulated metarhithron Gurtenbach in Upper Austria were evaluated by a survey of the dragonfly fauna. The assessment method developed in this study was based on the longitudinal distribution of dragonflies along riverine biocoenotic regions (the “Rhithron-Potamon-Concept” explains changes in species composition along a river’s length). Numerically expressed habitat preferences…
The dragonfly genus Ischnura has been the subject of numerous studies and is well studied in Europe and the Middle East. Nevertheless, information on the ecology, habitat preferences and phylogenetic relationships of some species is deficient. One species lacking such data is Ischnura intermedia, a near endemic species of the Middle East, found for the…
Coenagrion mercuriale is a threatened damselfly in most parts of its geographic distribution. It is listed as endangered in North Africa, where no data on its biology or ecology are available. This study aims to illustrate the reproductive behaviour and habitat preferences of adults in a population located in north-east Algeria, representing the southern limit…
Populations of Ischnura hastata found in the Azores archipelago represent the only known example of parthenogenesis in the order Odonata. In this paper, we present results from fieldwork done on the islands of São Miguel, Pico, Santa Maria, and Graciosa, aimed at characterizing population ecology and habitat preferences of this species. Sampling of several ponds…
One of the forest types occurring in Southern Brazil is the mixed ombrophilous forest (MOF), a subtype of the Atlantic Forest, which is one of the richest biomes on Earth. This biome currently remains as a highly fragmented mosaic, under pressure from human development. The diversity and ecology of most animal groups in this biome…