Two dragonfly species (Insecta: Odonata) migrating at Dakhla (region of Oued Ad-Dahab Lagouira, Morocco)

Mohamed Mediania,d , Jean-Pierre Boudotb, Bouchra Benazzouzc, Taoufik El Bellad

  1. Laboratoire de Diversité et Conservation des Systèmes Biologiques, Faculté des Sciences, Département de Biologie , Université Abdelmalek Essaâdi-Tétouan, Morocco
  2. LIMOS, UMR7137CNRS-Université de Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-Lès-Nancy cedex, France
  3. Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire de Génétique , Neuroendocrinologie & Biotechnologie, Université Ibn Tofaïl, Morocco
  4. Association‘Nature-Initiative’, Ad-Dakhla, Morocco

International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 15, Issue 4, Pages 293-298, 2012
https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2012.738464
Published: 1 December 212 (Received: 19 June 2012, Accepted: 3 October 2012)

Abstract

Large numbers of migrating imagos of Anax ephippiger were observed from the end of January to March 2012 at Dakhla Bay, Southern Morocco, in an area where long-lasting fresh and brackish waters are lacking, and thus which is unfavourable for the reproduction of Odonata. This supports well the classical scheme of northward mass migration of the species along the Atlantic coast of Africa, induced by autumnal mass emergences in the Sahel as a result of the summer African monsoon. Small numbers of Sympetrum fonscolombii were previously temporarily recorded from the same area in July 2011. They were probably nomadic individuals of which the origin could not be verified, but which could have been involved in long distance vagrancy, typical of the species, due to the scarcity of fresh and brackish water in the area.

Keywords: migration, Anax ephippiger, Sympetrum fonscolombii, Southern Sahara, Dakhla, Morocco

Issue section: Article