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…
Co-occurring odonate species often perch at different heights. We studied the effects of interspecific and intraspecific interactions on perch-height selection by Perithemis tenera, Pachydiplax longipennis, and Enallagma spp. by creating artificial perch stations and comparing perch selection when species perched alone or together. We also compared the frequency of perch-height use in the presence or…
The Japanese endemic Sympetrum frequens is considered as the insular vicariant of S. depressiusculum, widely distributed in the Eurasian Continent. In Korea, morphologically intermediate specimens have been collected, mixed with typical S. depressiusculum. The taxonomical status of these two species is thus questionable. To clarify their status, sequencing of mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) was…
Orthemis sibylla is shown to be a junior synonym of O. ambirufa, based on a comparison of the holotype male of O. ambirufa with voucher specimens in the UMMZ identified as O. sibylla by Ris and specimens of this species from French Guiana and Venezuela in the RWG collection. Diagnostic characters of the male holotype…
A written description and illustrations of the final stadium larva of Nesciothemis farinosa are presented, based on larvae and exuviae collected in Namibia. The larvae were reared in the laboratory until emergence. Additionally, information on larval microhabitat, behaviour and development is provided.
A comparison of the description of Brachythemis liberiensis with material of B. leucosticta and Parazyxomma flavicans has shown that B. liberiensis is a synonym of P. flavicans. B. liberiensis should be removed from the list of threatened African Odonata. The relationships between the genus Brachythemis and the Zyxommatini are briefly discussed. Further arguments for a…
A negative relationship between clutch size and egg size is generally expected. However, no such trade off has been reported in Odonata. In this paper we analyse relationships between egg size and clutch size in the dragonfly subfamily of Sympetrinae using material from Norway, Sweden, Germany and France. Clutch size varied within and among the…
Oviposition in water-filled tree holes and mating behaviour of Hadrothemis scabrifrons was observed in a lowland coastal forest in Kenya. Conforming with the predominant mode of oviposition in the Libellulidae, females of H. scabrifrons touch the water with their ovipositor while hovering above tree holes. Male behaviour is opportunistic: usually males perch and patrol in…
Trithemis bifida is reported for the first time from East Africa. Previously there were only two Afrotropical records of this species: one male from Zambia and one male from the Ivory Coast. The male of T. bifida is described and compared with the closely related T. donaldsoni which is also found in East Africa. Taxonomically…