Revision of the subgenus Marmaraeschna (Odonata: Aeshnidae)

This revision of the subgenus Marmaraeschna includes the description of three new species: Aeshna (M.) fissifrons, A. (M.) obscura and A. (M.) brevicercia, as well as redescriptions of the previously known species, including the first description of the male of A. (M.) pallipes, a key for males and females and an updated distribution for each…

Aeshna (Hesperaeschna) condor sp. nov. from the Venezuelan Andes, with a redescription of A. (H.) joannisi, comments on other species, and descriptions of larvae (Odonata: Aeshnidae)

Aeshna (Hesperaeschna) condor sp. nov. is described and illustrated from four males and six exuviae. The adult color pattern does not resemble that of any other Venezuelan species, but structurally the new species comes closest to A. (H.) punctata and A. (H.) joannisi. This latter is here recorded for the first time from Venezuela, and…

New records of the Paleotropical migrant Hemianax ephippiger in the Caribbean and a review of its status in the Neotropics

Tropical America is currently experiencing the establishment of a new apex insect predator, the Paleotropical dragonfly Hemianax ephippiger (Odonata: Aeshnidae). H. ephippiger is migratory and is suggested to have colonised the eastern Neotropics by chance Trans-Atlantic displacement. We report the discovery of H. ephippiger at three new locations in the Caribbean, the islands of Bonaire,…

A brief review of Odonata in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

Odonatans are rare as amber inclusions, but quite diverse in Cretaceous Burmese amber. In the past two years, over 20 new species have been found by the present authors after studying over 250 odonatans from 300,000 amber inclusions. Most of them have now been published, and here we provide a brief review. Three suborders of…

A review of the reproductive habitat preferences and conservation challenges of a rare, transient, and ecologically restricted darner dragonfly: Rhionaeschna mutata

Rhionaeschna mutata is a rare North American dragonfly that is considered a species of concern or threatened throughout its range. It is most widely distributed in the eastern USA, but recent adult records indicate that its range extends further north and west than previously known. Effective conservation planning for rare species requires understanding their habitat…

First record of extra-abdominal processes in adult Odonata

Paired extra-abdominal processes (ap) were found in the pleural region of abdominal segments 6–9 in adult Odonata for the first time. They are unsegmented bulge-like or rod-like structures of different size, degree of sclerotization and movability. A short search across odonatan families has shown that ap are inherent for all studied Aeshnidae and for some…

Morphology of female external genitalia in Phenes raptor (Odonata: Petaluridae)

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…