Morphology of female external genitalia in Phenes raptor (Odonata: Petaluridae)

The exoskeleton of the female genitalic region in Phenes raptor is described based on light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It is shown that in this species the pattern of sclerites, articulations, processes, and apodemes is overall the same as in other ovipositor-bearing Odonata, i.e. Zygoptera, the anisozygopteran Epiophlebia, and the anisopteran Aeshnidae. However, many…

Pseudagrion lorenzi sp. nov., a new damselfly species from New Britain island, Papua New Guinea (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

Pseudagrion lorenzi sp. nov. is described from New Britain island, Papua New Guinea. Male and female characters are illustrated by means of scanning electron microscopy. A differential diagnosis with Pseudagrion civicum Lieftinck, 1932 from New Guinea and Pseudagrion incisurum Lieftinck, 1949 from the Solomon Archipelago is provided. The female of P. incisurum is described for…

Wing surface in the damselfly Mecistogaster ornata (Zygoptera, Pseudostigmatidae): interactions between nanoscale wax and sticky spider webs

The representatives of the damselfly family Pseudostigmatidae are known for their ability to catch small orb web spiders, or in some cases small kleptoparasitic spiders in the webs of other spiders. In this paper, I demonstrate that the nanoscopic crystalline wax coverage of wings in the pseudostigmatid damselfly Mecistogaster ornata is partially altered due to…

Morphology of follicle cells of Libellulidae (Odonata)

In libellulids, mature oocyte size varies within and between individual ovaries. The regulating mechanism is not yet understood. Variations in the contents of the follicle cells, and thereby their ability to secrete material into the oocyte, might explain some of the observed differences in oocyte size. We therefore investigated the follicle cell surface, the interstitial…