Detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided of the ultimate instar larvae of Argia medullaris and Argia variegata from Colombia. The principal features are outlined and compared with other species. Argia medullaris differs from other species of the genus by the parallel width of the lateral gills and prominent ligula; the A. variegata larva can be…
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…
The larva of the Chinese endemic Pseudolestes mirabilis is described and figured for the first time. Specimens were collected from Hainan, the only known locality for this species. The presence of ventral paired gill tufts on S10 and sack-like caudal gills indicate that among other zygopteran families this species may be most closely related to…
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…
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,…
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 larva of Heliaeschna uninervulata is described and figured for the first time. Its characters mostly fall within the limits of variation of Gynacantha spp. Comparison of the larval characters of H. filostyla, the only other member of the genus for which the larva is known, suggests that it is not congeneric with H. uninervulata….
Sinorogomphus hiten sp. nov. is described and illustrated from both sexes (holotype ♂: Laos, Oudomxay province [20°36′14″ N, 102°3′21″ E, 1075 m a.s.l.], deposited in the National Science Museum, Tokyo, Japan). This is also a first record of the genus from Laos. The new species is easily differentiated from the other congeners in the male…
Anisoptera emergence in the seasonal tropics was monitored at a 35-ha managed wetland site in Hong Kong from February 2004 to November 2007. Exuviae records of 18 species from multiple emergence screens, exuviae traps and transect surveys were combined. The presence of adults during this period was also monitored. The study site comprised a mosaic…
Two third stadium larvae of Coenagrionidae (probably Coenagrion puella or Ischnura elegans) were recorded in the bladders of U. australis sampled from a garden pond in Karlsruhe, Germany, in June 2010. These are the first records of odonate larvae as prey of carnivorous aquatic macrophytes.