A hitherto unknown flight pattern of female Calopteryx splendens is described. On a day with heavy winds, when no damselfly could fly in open space of the river, I observed and filmed four to six females foraging in a small bay sheltered by bank vegetation. Females fought for perches and showed a threatening flight with…
Recent findings suggest that postmating prezygotic isolation (i.e. gametic barriers) could be an important factor preventing hybrid formation. Competitive gametic barriers emerge when a female is inseminated by a conspecific and a heterospecific male. We examined whether sperm proportions after double matings and copulation duration impede hybrid formation. For this, we used females of Ischnura…
Dragonflies are commonly used as indicators of environmental quality and different methods have been employed to monitor odonate assemblages, such as surveys of all adults, evaluations based on breeding adults, sampling of larvae and collection of exuviae. Results obtained with different sampling methods may not be interchangeable, as the different life stages (e.g. larvae, adults)…
The final larval stadium of four species of Cora are described and compared with known species in the genus. Cora skinneri Calvert, 1907, C. semiopaca Selys, 1878 and C. lugubris Navás, 1934 are described and illustrated for the first time using material from Costa Rica for the first two and from Colombia for the latter….
A synopsis of the genus Philosina is provided. Larvae of the two known species, P. alba and P. buchi are described for the first time. The distribution of both species is discussed and information on behaviour and habitat is summarized. The specialized larvae of Philosina show a strong resemblance to those of Rhinagrion, suggesting that…
From 12 to 25 August 2009, the odonate fauna of Santo Antão, Cape Verde was surveyed by recording adults and collecting larvae and exuviae at 26 localities, mostly situated in the northwest of the island. Based on the results of this survey and literature data on the Cape Verdes it appears that the resident odonate…
Odonates of small temporary pools, marshes, large permanent ponds, oxbow lakes, dams, and perennial rivers were sampled in the semiarid Chaco biome of NW Argentina between September 2007 and December 2008. Information from 35 localities yielded 60 species; presence/absence information of species was recorded in a spatial-relational database. Alpha, beta, and gamma diversity and total…
Libellago corbeti sp. nov. (holotype ♂: Sri Lanka, Ratnapura District, near Kudawe, 6.26°N, 80.25°E, 03 vii 2007, to be deposited in the Sri Lanka National Museum, Colombo) is described and figured. Its phenotype does not resemble that of any other Libellago species. Habitat characteristics and species behaviour are briefly outlined. Keys to males and females…
In this study we use high resolution SEM to describe the diversity of wax crystals and their distribution on different morphological structures in male individuals of Calopteryx splendens. The entire cuticle surface of this damselfly, with the exception of ommatidia and ocelli, is covered with crystalline wax in dimensions from submicron to micron range. It…
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…