This paper is dedicated to Philip S. Corbet on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
A scientometric analysis on pre- and post-copulatory traits in Odonata
In the last decades, studies on sexual selection in odonates have shown a relationship between mating success and costly sexual ornaments, mainly male characters. Here, we conducted a scientometric analysis to assess the state of art of studies on sexual selection in odonates, especially on the role of male ornamentation (pre-copulatory traits) and sperm competition (post-copulatory traits).
Reproductive behaviour of Libellago semiopaca on a Bornean rainforest stream (Odonata: Chlorocyphidae)
The reproductive behaviour of Libellago semiopaca was studied on a swift-flowing shallow forest stream in Brunei. Females oviposited just below the water-line, commonly in groups, only on large, firm-textured, semi-submerged logs, usually guarded by males. Both sexes were very sedentary. Suitable sites, with good illumination and deep deposits of fine gravel and leaf mulch in…
To stay or not to stay: Decision-making during territorial behaviour of Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis and Calopteryx splendens splendens (Zygoptera: Calopterygidae)
The effect of copulation and presence of predators on territorial behaviour of male Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis (in southern France) and of male C. splendens splendens (in northern Germany) was studied in nature. A male obtaining a copulation early in the day often secured more copulations later that day than did males not obtaining an early copulation….
Hybridization between Calopteryx splendens and C. haemorrhoidalis confirmed by morphological and genetic analyses
Hybridization between Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis and any of its congeners has not been reported until now. We observed spontaneous matings between male C. splendens and female C. haemorrhoidalis at a locality in Central Italy, together with some putative hybrid individuals that had a mixed phenotype. Here, we report the morphological and molecular characterization of five suspected…
Sperm numbers, sperm storage duration and fertility limitation in the Odonata
The status of the Odonata as a model taxon for studying the evolution and diversity of reproductive behaviours is shown here to have declined relative to crickets and Drosophila. Very few available data on ejaculate size, the number of sperm stored by females and the duration of sperm storage reveal poor knowledge of these areas…