The behavior of Mesamphiagrion laterale (Selys, 1876) is described based upon 2430 hours of observation. A total of 2820 individuals were observed for 270 days from 2014 to 2015 using mark-recapture. Probabilities of resight, highest reproductive activity, time-perch and time of perch-temperature were statistically analyzed. Mesamphiagrion laterale is not a territorial species, the individuals perch…
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…
In the temperate zone, male perch height of co-occurring dragonfly species (Odonata: Libellulidae) often correlates with species body size. I tested for this relationship in a guild of tropical dragonflies at a wetland at La Selva Biological Station, Heredia, Costa Rica. Males of 12 species were observed perching in January–February 2016. Mean male perch height…
A survey of the Gomphidae of Algeria and the Maghreb was carried out during the period 2013–2014. Sampling of eight main wadis across northern Algeria was undertaken and adults and exuviae were recorded. The survey yielded six species of Gomphidae. Among these, we report on the rediscovery of the Critically Endangered Lindenia tetraphylla in Algeria,…
Large libellulid dragonflies often fly higher than smaller libellulids. We hypothesized that this size-related pattern in flight height might be caused by aggressive displacement. We tested this hypothesis by using a 30 m “dragonfly zip-line” to reel dead dragonfly decoys of four species of different sizes (Erythemis simplicicollis, Libellula incesta, Pachydiplax longipennis, and Perithemis tenera) along…
For eleven species of sympatric libellulids, male mean mass was positively correlated with wing aspect ratio, wing loading, and mean perch height. We tested the hypotheses that perch height selection was governed by interspecific competition or biomechanical responses to increased wind speed at higher perches. Although larger odonates might prefer higher perches to offset their…
Ten common libellulid species perch along the shoreline of lakes and ponds in South Carolina, USA. We collected individuals at five ponds throughout summer 2005, weighed them in the field, and calculated wing loading (N·m2) and wing aspect ratios from digital photographs. We measured the perch-height preferences of these species in ‘low perch’ (10, 20,…
Co-occurring odonate species often perch at different heights. We studied the effects of interspecific and intraspecific interactions on perch-height selection by Perithemis tenera, Pachydiplax longipennis, and Enallagma spp. by creating artificial perch stations and comparing perch selection when species perched alone or together. We also compared the frequency of perch-height use in the presence or…