The reproductive behaviour of the damselfly Neurobasis chinensis (Calopterygidae) was filmed at 300 and 600 frames per second in Thailand in spring 2009. This was subsequently viewed in slow motion for detailed analysis. Altogether we observed 26 matings at two different sites. Besides visual observations of behaviour of male–female encounters at the reproductive sites, we…
Our understanding of mating systems is highly skewed toward temperate examples. This study investigated the mating system, sexual size dimorphism and seasonal variation in local distribution and abundance of male and female Telebasis carmesina, a common damselfly in Brazilian tropical savanna. In a natural reserve, daily census and behavioral observations were made throughout 1 year…
Behaviour of dragonflies was observed during the partial solar eclipse in Saitama, Japan, on 22 July 2009. The solar eclipse started at 09:54 h, reached its maximum magnitude of 74.9% at 11:12 h, and ended at 12:29 h. Light intensity at the peak of the eclipse was 1005 lx, a reduction by 28.2% of that…
Oviposition site selection is crucial in the life history of odonates since females must find a suitable habitat to enhance larval survival and development. Males perch at these sites to get access to females to mate. Here we studied how different types of vegetation influence site selection of the damselfly Oxyagrion microstigma in a Neotropical…
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…
The larva of the south-east Asian megapodagrionid, Podolestes orientalis, is described and figured. Specimens were collected from shallow forest pools lined with large dead leaves in secondary lowland forest. Final and earlier stadium larvae were found concentrated around the edges of pools in very shallow water. Larvae sometimes perched in exposed situations, just below the…
Published records of Mesopodagrion are reviewed and the distributions of M. tibetanum and M. yachowensis are given. Sinocnemis henanese is considered a junior synonym of S. yangbingi. Based on morphological and behavioural characters Sinocnemis is removed from Platycnemididae and placed in Megapodagrionidae. Species of Sinocnemis show a general resemblance to species of Mesopodagrion but it…
The behaviour of Anisoptera during the period between emergence and the onset of sexual activity is poorly known, mainly because freshly emerged adults are hard to follow. In the present study the system RECCO® Transmitter/Receiver and custombuilt tags made from Schottky diodes and copper wire were used to monitor freshly emerged Anisoptera. The system had…
Sympetrum vicinum is a sit and wait predator, which takes off and pursues small flying insects during its long flying season (July to November). We investigated whether foraging individuals become less discriminating regarding prey size selection during the fall season because the changeable fall weather has an impact on the prey population. To investigate the…
A male Libellula depressa was observed to mistake a dark-green passenger coach for a water body thus establishing his territory over the surface of the vehicle and using the radio antenna as perch. A videopolarimetric analysis of the car body showed that the light reflected from the bonnet was highly and horizontally polarized with rather…