Aquatic macroinvertebrates are a primary component of freshwater ecosystems and one of the most threatened by anthropogenic pressures. Among them, dragonflies are a charismatic group of growing scientific and social interest. However, little is known about the natural history of several species. One paradigmatic example is the declining Orthetrum nitidinerve, a Western Mediterranean endemic anisopteran….
The department of Ñeembucú, in south-western Paraguay, is home to the virtually unexplored Ñeembucú Wetlands, the second largest wetland system in the country, representing a major gap in biodiversity knowledge. As organisms ubiquitous with wetlands, the Odonata, or dragonflies (Anisoptera) and damselflies (Zygoptera), have the potential to be effective indicators of wetland habitats in the…
Within the damselfly subfamily Platycnemidinae, eight species are currently recognized in South-East Asia. The final stadium larvae of only three of them have been so far described. The final stadium larva of Copera chantaburii is described and illustrated for the first time, based on reared specimens, and new provincial records both of larvae and adults…
Frogs are important predators of Odonata. We investigated frogs catching Odonata prey by means of slow-motion filming in the field in order to understand the prey–predator interactions. In particular, we aimed to analyse kinematics of captures, and of Odonata fleeing, through evaluation of frame-by-frame filming; 122 (20%) of 613 events were analysed. While dragonflies were…
The Bekko Tombo, Libellula angelina Selys, 1883 (Odonata: Libellulidae), is listed as an endangered species in South Korea, and is classified as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). An assessment of the genetic diversity and population relationships of the species by molecular markers can provide the information necessary…
Remarkable flight performance is key to the survival of adult Odonata. They integrate varied three-dimensional architectures and kinematics of the wings, unsteady aerodynamics, and sensory feedback control in order to achieve agile flight. Therefore, a diverse range of approaches are necessary to understand their flight strategy comprehensively. Recently, new data have been presented in several…
Odonata flight performance capabilities and behaviour and their body and wing form diversity are explored, and their interrelationships discussed theoretically and from observational evidence. Overall size and particularly wing loading appear predictably to be related to speed range. In Anisoptera at least, relatively short bodies and long wings should favour high speed manoeuvrability, though further…
For the first time water dipping behaviour of Calopteryx during threatening flight is reported. Four males of Calopteryx virgo in a small rivulet coming from a spring pool in SW France involved in threatening flights near an opponent dipped a wing into the water, producing conspicuous water rings. One male did this twice and additionally…
Larvae were reared at 21.5°C from eggs from southernmost Sweden, and fed ad libitum to emergence in four different photoperiodic treatments, intended to represent increasing levels of time stress: constant LD 16:8, corresponding to late April (or August) conditions, a shift after about two weeks from LD 16:8 to 19.5:4.5, coarsely simulating late spring, constant…
Very little is known about the biology of larval odonates from the Neotropical region, and in particular there are no data on behavioral changes during ontogeny and growth ratios, though both are crucial to understanding the dynamics of Odonata communities. Here we study growth ratio, development patterns and behavior of Rhionaeschna marchali larvae. We characterized…