We review the knowledge about the thermal reaction norms of larval growth in Odonata with a focus on the temperature response function. We re-analyze literature data and present our own results on growth rates of larvae of 14 species of Libellulidae reared at different temperatures. Temperature response curves (TRC) were fitted in order to estimate…
Most species of petalurid dragonflies have a fossorial larval stage, which is unique in the Odonata. Larvae typically excavate burrows in soft peaty soils in mires, seepages or along stream margins, which are occupied by a single larva throughout the long larval stage. This paper reports on a study of burrow morphology in Petalura gigantea,…
It has been shown that life history, behavioural as well as morphological traits vary with the habitats occupied by odonate larvae. Here we ask the following questions: (1) Are the morphological traits, which are associated with perception and foraging, related to the larval habitat? (2) Do these traits influence foraging success and growth rate? We…
In the premontane rain forests of northwest Costa Rica, patches of secondary forest can contain high densities of large Vriesea spp. bromeliads. Such patches contain an average of 6,470 ± 1,080 (s.e.) larvae ha-1 of the bromeliad-dwelling pseudostigmatid, Mecistogaster modesta, ca 3 6× higher than larval densities that we previously reported for adjacent primary forest.
Communities have a nested-subset structure if the species found in species-poor assemblages are also found in progressively more species-rich assemblages. This nested-subset structure can be caused by differential colonization rates among species, differential extinction rates among species, or nested niche space. In this study, the assemblages of larval odonates in the Enoree River of South…
In Norway and throughout the rest of Europe, a continuous decline in the number of small lakes and ponds has taken place. As a consequence, many pond-dwelling organisms have become rare or extinct. Constructed wetlands (CWs) have since the 1990s been used as a remedial action against agricultural runoff. This study has investigated the potential…
The range of Macromia splendens, a rare anisopteran, includes SE France and some scattered localities on the Iberian Peninsula. During 1996-1998, I made an exhaustive search for the characteristics of the species’ larval and adult habitat, flight period and adult activity in NW Spain. Nine populations were found, greatly increasing its known range. Adults were…
The larva of Papuagrion is described and illustrated for the first time based on two specimens collected near Goroka, Papua New Guinea. The larvae were identified by matching the mitochondrial marker COI with that of an adult specimen collected at the same locality. The larvae were found in the leaf axils of Pandanus trees which…
In a large population of Lestes viridis inhabiting a complex, extended system of channels in the floodplain of the Upper Rhine River near Weisweil (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) detailed samples of exuviae were collected from several subpopulations. For each sample the sex ratio was determined. For statistical reasons only samples with at least 700 exuviae were considered.
Sympetrum striolatum (Charpentier, 1840) and S. vulgatum (Linnaeus, 1758) are two closely related Libellulidae that are widespread and common in Central Europe. The idea for this research originates from normally using saltwater shrimps for rearing young larvae, the observations of Sympetrum species laying eggs in seawater and the suggested ability of S. striolatum to colonize brackish water habitats.