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…

Diel pattern of activity of Lestes macrostigma at a breeding site (Odonata: Lestidae)

Monitoring methods always recommend gathering data during the maximal activity of adults. Hence monitoring the threatened Lestes macrostigma requires knowledge of its activity pattern. Dragonfly “activity” is ambiguous and its intensity can be assessed in different ways, including by the threshold of response to a predator stimulus, i.e. “awareness”. We studied the daily pattern of…

Dragons fly, biologists classify: an overview of molecular odonate studies, and our evolutionary understanding of dragonfly and damselfly (Insecta: Odonata) behavior

Among insects, perhaps the most appreciated are those that are esthetically pleasing: few capture the interest of the public as much as vibrantly colored dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata). These remarkable insects are also extensively studied. Here, we review the history of odonate systematics, with an emphasis on discrepancies among studies. Over the past century,…

The status of two boreo-alpine species, Somatochlora alpestris and S. arctica, in Romania and their vulnerability to the impact of climate change (Odonata: Corduliidae)

It is expected that climate change will have a great impact on many species and habitats. This will be greater if populations are found at the edge of their range or are isolated, and could lead to regional extinction. Here we investigate the possible impact on two boreo-alpine dragonfly species, Somatochlora alpestris and S. arctica,…

The female of Leptobasis melinogaster González-Soriano (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

The female of Leptobasis melinogaster González-Soriano, 2002 is formally described and illustrated. Female L. melinogaster can be distinguished from the seven other known congeners by the shape and presence of a ventral lobe below the rounded lateral margins of the posterior and median lobes of the prothorax as well as by the dark apices on…