The distribution of an isolated population of adult Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis was studied along a small stream in NE Spain, during two-week or three-week summer periods over five years. Distribution patterns differed consistently between age groups. Reproductive activities took place along the entire stream, whereas the presence of tenerals and older immature individuals was restricted to…
The habitat, territorial and reproductive behaviour of the Bornean calopterygid damselfly Vestalis amabilis, are described. Males are territorial and will remain at the same site defending a territory for up to three weeks. Territories take the form of sun flecks whose physical location changes slowly throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky.
Small sweep-net samples of larvae of Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis, obtained during five consecutive years from a permanent stream in the Sierra Morena Mountains, southern Spain, were combined according to month to infer the voltinism during the study period. Detailed records of head width, wing-sheath length and metamorphosis status for individual larvae are consistent with the population…
The effect of copulation and presence of predators on territorial behaviour of male Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis (in southern France) and of male C. splendens splendens (in northern Germany) was studied in nature. A male obtaining a copulation early in the day often secured more copulations later that day than did males not obtaining an early copulation….
This paper is dedicated to Philip S. Corbet on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
The post-copulatory behaviour of Calopteryx splendens females was studied under field and laboratory conditions. After termination of copulation females usually perch and bend the abdomen so that its apex touches the ground (post-copulatory posture). The post-copulatory posture is a consequence of sperm removal by males. Male and female microstructures (spines and scales) interact to move…
This study investigated the biological water quality and Odonata assemblages in three waterbodies in Ilara-Mokin, with the aim of determining the ecological integrity of the ecosystems. Sampling of Odonata specimens was carried out over April–August, 2017 between 9.00am and 4.00pm under favourable conditions. Some physico-chemical parameters of the water such as dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity,…
Hybridization between Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis and any of its congeners has not been reported until now. We observed spontaneous matings between male C. splendens and female C. haemorrhoidalis at a locality in Central Italy, together with some putative hybrid individuals that had a mixed phenotype. Here, we report the morphological and molecular characterization of five suspected…
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…