Among insects, perhaps the most appreciated are those that are esthetically pleasing: few capture the interest of the public as much as vibrantly colored dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata). These remarkable insects are also extensively studied. Here, we review the history of odonate systematics, with an emphasis on discrepancies among studies. Over the past century,…
Indocypha catopta sp. nov. (holotype ♂: China, Guizhou, Maolan National Nature Reserve 28 vii 2008, to be deposited in the Collection of Aquatic Insects and Soil Animals, Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou) is described, illustrated and compared with all known Indocypha species. The uncertain taxonomic status of some Chinese Indocypha species is…
Females of Forcipomyia paludis were studied microscopically during their feeding action on Odonata wings where they were mostly attached to main veins in the basal half of the wings. In some individuals rhythmic nodding of the head was noted. Conspicuously many midges lifted the abdominal tip every one or two minutes and from the anus…
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…
This paper is dedicated to Philip S. Corbet on the occasion of his 70th birthday.