Differential survival rates of damselfly larvae in the presence of newt and dragonfly predators

The damselfly species Paracercion melanotum has been found to be the most abundant species in damselfly larval communities on Okinawa-zima Island in southwest Japan. To clarify differential susceptibility to predation, a possible factor affecting relative population densities in larval communities, between Paracercion melanotum and a less common damselfly species, Ischnura senegalensis, laboratory experiments were conducted…

Do coloured-winged damselflies and dragonflies have flight kinematics different from those with clear wings?

The flights of male odonates encountering conspecifics at their reproduction sites were investigated by means of slow-motion films. We recorded large and generally consistent differences between species with clear wings (SCLW) and species with coloured wings (SCOW). SCLW mostly fought having physical contact and moved their wings without pauses in wing beats (hereafter designated wing…

Morphology of female external genitalia in Phenes raptor (Odonata: Petaluridae)

The exoskeleton of the female genitalic region in Phenes raptor is described based on light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It is shown that in this species the pattern of sclerites, articulations, processes, and apodemes is overall the same as in other ovipositor-bearing Odonata, i.e. Zygoptera, the anisozygopteran Epiophlebia, and the anisopteran Aeshnidae. However, many…

Trithemis morrisoni sp. nov. and T. palustris sp. nov. from the Okavango and Upper Zambezi Floodplains previously hidden under T. stictica (Odonata: Libellulidae)

During the course of a population genetic study of Trithemis stictica that included sites in Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Botswana and Zambia, two undescribed libellulid species were discovered in the Okavango and Upper Zambezi Floodplains. These were both previously identified as T. stictica. We describe the two species, T. morrisoni sp. nov. (holotype ♂: Namibia,…

Three new libelluline dragonflies from southern Venezuela, with new records of other species (Odonata: Libellulidae)

Elasmothemis rufa sp. nov. (holotype: Venezuela, Amazonas, Río Cataniapo), Macrotbemis taurepan sp. nov. (holotype: Venezuela, Bolívar, El Paují), and Oligoclada garrisoni sp. nov. (holotype: Venezuela: Amazonas, San Fernando de Atabapo) are described and illustrated. All holotypes are deposited at MIZA. Macrothemis heteronycha and Micrathyria paruensis are recorded from Venezuela for the first time, and Micrathyria…