Boyeria cretensis belongs to the most threatened European dragonfly species. It is restricted to some isolated permanent streams on the island of Crete. The streams have a pronounced gallery vegetation and are situated in a narrow belt of altitude between 50 and 400 m. We understand very little about the biology of this species so…
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…
Based on examination of the syntype female of Telagrion fulvellum which we designate as lectotype, and its comparison with additional male and female specimens from Peru, this species is assigned to a new genus, Dolonagrion, and both sexes are redescribed, diagnosed, and illustrated.
We revisit the hypothesis, first advanced in 1962, that, with regard to their means of thermoregulation and overt behaviour, two types of Odonata can be recognised: fliers, when active (during reproductive activity, primarily, or foraging) remain on the wing, whereas perchers, when similarly engaged, spend most of the time on a perch from which they…
Climate change brings with it unprecedented rates of increase in environmental temperature, which will have major consequences for the earth’s flora and fauna. The Odonata represent a taxon that has many strong links to this abiotic factor due to its tropical evolutionary history and adaptations to temperate climates. Temperature is known to affect odonate physiology…
In a large population of Lestes viridis inhabiting a complex, extended system of channels in the floodplain of the Upper Rhine River near Weisweil (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) detailed samples of exuviae were collected from several subpopulations. For each sample the sex ratio was determined. For statistical reasons only samples with at least 700 exuviae were considered.
Examination of diagnostic features for all known species of Acanthagrion and Oxyagrion shows color pattern alone not to be a reliable diagnostic character. Both genera are redefined based on morphological characters, and some color pattern characters which further aid in their diagnoses. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis indicates both genera are monophyletic. They are distinguished from…
The placement of Leptagrion flammeum in Aeolagrion is confirmed to be incorrect; comparison with all other described genera of New World Coenagrionidae shows that this species does not belong in any of them. A new genus, Phoenicagrion (type species L. flammeum), is here described to include L. flammeum and a new species, P. paulsoni (holotype…
The biting midge Forcipomyia (Pterobosca) paludis is the only ceratopogonid species known to parasitise Odonata imagines in Europe. In this study, based mainly on the analysis of about 200 photographically documented cases, data on host species, parasite load and undisturbed position on the odonate body were analysed. The list of hitherto known hosts is extended…
Argiolestes aurantiacus, endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago, is redescribed and three new species of Argiolestes from the Solomon Archipelago are described: A. bougainville sp. nov. (holotype ♂: Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, North Solomons, 02 i 1970), A. gizo sp. nov. (holotype ♂: Solomon Islands, Western Province, Gizo Island, alt. 1-100 m, 02 vii 1959) and…