Two new species of Metaleptobasis from Ecuador are described and illustrated. Metaleptobasis gibbosa (holotype ♂, allotype \female: Ecuador, Pastaza Province, forest wetlands, Los Copales, between Mera and Shell, 01° 29′ 30′′ S, 078° 04′ 19′′ W, elevation 1070 m, 20–22 September 2005, leg. K. J. Tennessen; deposited in Florida State Collection of Arthropods) appears related…
Clutch size is an important fitness component often quantified artificially by inducing oviposition in libellulid females. Female behavior and egg production of the yellow-veined skimmer, Orthetrum nitidinerve, were studied in northeast Algeria during its reproductive season. Data on reproductive behavior and biology of this Mediterranean endemic species has not been published previously. Males guarded territories…
Protoneuridae are represented in the neotropics by 16 genera and 117 species, of which 64 species in 12 genera are known to occur in Brazil. Most of them are known only from the original descriptions or isolated records. During 2009 the Protoneuridae collection of MNRJ was revised; 2800 specimens were studied, belonging to 40 species…
The final stadium larva of Leptogomphus elegans Lieftinck is described and illustrated for the first time. The taxonomic characters of the larvae of the genus Leptogomphus Selys are discussed and summarized.
Oviposition behaviour by Sympetrum frequens, a species endemic to Japan, has been observed throughout its entire breeding season, which extended for about one month after the harvest of rice. Approximately 50% of oviposition events occurred during the first week of the reproduction period. Sunny oviposition sites were preferentially selected by ovipositing pairs. The starting time…
The larva of Argia percellulata is described and figured. It falls into the group of Argia larvae with a very prominent ligula and one palpal seta, but differs from its closest relatives by having tibiae usually with two well-defined dark rings, posterior margin of sternite 6 smooth, and posterior margin of sternite 7 smooth medially…
Dragonflies are commonly used as indicators of environmental quality and different methods have been employed to monitor odonate assemblages, such as surveys of all adults, evaluations based on breeding adults, sampling of larvae and collection of exuviae. Results obtained with different sampling methods may not be interchangeable, as the different life stages (e.g. larvae, adults)…
Morphometric and genetic differences were analysed for two closely related damselflies, Chalcolestes viridis and C. parvidens. A total of 305 male individuals were collected from six European countries (Austria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Portugal). Measurements from a total of 28 populations of C. viridis and C. parvidens and several intermediate forms were collected to…
Dysphaea haomiao sp. nov. (holotype ♂, China, Guizhou, Libo County, Xiaoqikong Scenic Area, Zhangjiang River, alt. c.450 m, 7 May 2007) is described and illustrated for both sexes. The male differs from its closest congeners, Dysphaea basitincta and D. gloriosa, by the blackish, completely opaque coloration of its wings.
It has been hypothesized that sperm removal ability in male Odonata (damselflies and dragonflies) has promoted sexual conflict over the sperm stored in the reproductive tract of the female. Although there is evidence supporting this hypothesis, most studies have been conducted in a small number of species from specific families. We explored sperm removal ability…