Slow motion films of fight behaviour of five different species of Odonata were analysed. In all cases biting played a major role. The biting duration depended on the duration of a stable connection between the two opponents. Sitting odonates showed much longer biting than those that were flying. In fights of Anax junius and Calopteryx…
Two distinct emergence styles have been reported in odonates, with both the upright and hanging back emergence reported in the Petaluridae, between and within individual species, including Petalura gigantea. This paper reports three additional observations of upright emergence in P. gigantea, providing further evidence that this emergence style is the norm for the species.
Emergence studies in Odonata provide information on the behaviour, ecology and fundamental demographic parameters in population studies. This paper reports on a study of sex ratio at emergence, pattern and duration of the emergence season, and potential cohort splitting in Petalura gigantea. Sex ratio at emergence varied among years, habitat patches and swamp types. Across
Argiagrion leoninum, known only from the female holotype alleged to be West African, is shown to be a junior synonym of the Brazilian species Leptagrion macrurum. Moroagrion danielli, known only from the male holotype thought to be from the Philippines, is a junior synonym of the European Pyrrhosoma nymphula. Argiagrion and Moroagrion were both monotypic…
A new species, Calicnemia soccifera sp. nov. (holotype male: Jinping, Yunnan, China) is described and illustrated for both sexes. C. miniata is confirmed to occur in Xizang (Tibet), China, and preliminary taxonomic remarks on some Chinese species of Calicnemia are given.
The damselfly species Paracercion melanotum has been found to be the most abundant species in damselfly larval communities on Okinawa-zima Island in southwest Japan. To clarify differential susceptibility to predation, a possible factor affecting relative population densities in larval communities, between Paracercion melanotum and a less common damselfly species, Ischnura senegalensis, laboratory experiments were conducted…
Three new Cephalaeschna species, C. discolor sp. nov. (holotype male; Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, Shennongjia City, Hubei province, China, 16 August 2012), C. mattii sp. nov. (holotype male; Lujiahe River, Zigui County, Hubei province, China, 18 September 2012) and C. solitaria sp. nov. (holotype male; Dalongtan in Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, Shennongjia City, Hubei province,…
A new genus of Coenagrionidae, Fluminagrion, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is described, diagnosed, and illustrated, based on examination of the type series and additional specimens of Acanthagrion taxaense Santos, 1965, deposited in the collection of MNRJ/Brazil. This genus is characterized by: posterior lobe of prothorax trilobate, with medial lobe rounded and projected in both…
This study showed that the main impact on Odonata species of removal of riparian vegetation for road building was on community composition, since species richness remained unaltered. This result, most evident in damselflies, was probably driven by the entry of generalist species that replaced specialist species after the impact. We collected adult odonates in forested…
The flights of male odonates encountering conspecifics at their reproduction sites were investigated by means of slow-motion films. We recorded large and generally consistent differences between species with clear wings (SCLW) and species with coloured wings (SCOW). SCLW mostly fought having physical contact and moved their wings without pauses in wing beats (hereafter designated wing…