Ovo-viviparity in the Odonata? The case of Heliocypha perforata (Zygoptera: Chlorocyphidae) 00

H. G. Salindra K. Dayananda^a, Roger L. Kitching^a,b ✉️

Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China
Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia

International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 17, Issue 4, Pages 181-185, 2014

https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2014.959076

Published: 2 October 2014 (Received: 14 May 2014, Accepted: 25 August 2014)

Abstract

In this paper we record a likely instance of ovo-viviparity in a chlorocyphid damselfly from south-western China. If confirmed, this will be the first record of live birthing in the Odonata: indeed in any member of the Palaeoptera. The widespread Asian damselfly Heliocypha perforata (Percheron, 1835) is proposed to be, at least facultatively, viviparous. A female was observed and filmed appearing to deposit pro-larvae directly onto the exposed surface of a half-submerged branch in a small stream in Xishuangbanna Autonomous Dai Prefecture, Yunnan, China. The species is known to deposit eggs in bark crevices close to water but no previous case of actual live births is known.

Keywords: Odonata, dragonfly, damselfly, ovo-viviparity, Yunnan, Chlorocyphidae

Issue section: Article