Patterns of variation in wing venation of Iberian Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807) (Odonata: Cordulegastridae)

Patterns of variation in wing venation of Iberian Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807) (Odonata: Cordulegastridae) 00

Luisa Ferreira Nunes^a,b, Tomás Santamaría^c, Patricia Casanueva^d, Luis Fernando Sánchez-Sastre^e, Manuel Ferreras-Romero^f, Ángel Romero^g, Francisco Campos^d, M. Ángeles Hernández^h ✉️

Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco – Escola Superior Agrária. Qta Sra Mercules, 6000-900 Castelo Branco, Portugal
Centre for Applied Ecology Prof. Baeta Neves (CEABN-InBIO), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, Lisbon, 1349-017, Portugal
Universidad Católica de Ávila, Calle Canteros s/n, 05005 Ávila, Spain
Departamento de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes, 47012 Valladolid, Spain
Departamento de Ingeniería Agrícola y Forestal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenierías Agrarias, Universidad de Valladolid, 34004 Palencia, Spain
c/ Gerona 9, 41003 Sevilla, Spain
Consejería de Sostenibilidad, Medio Ambiente y Economía Azul – Junta de Andalucía. Parque Nacional y Parque Natural de Sierra Nevada. 18191 Pinos Genil, Granada, Spain
Departamento de Biología Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Spain

International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 26, Pages 164-171, 2023

https://doi.org/10.48156/1388.2023.1917226

Published: 10 November 2023 (Received: 31 January 2023, Accepted: 29 October 2023)

Abstract

Some structural characters, such as wing venation, have been used in odonates to differentiate taxa. In Cordulegaster boltonii, a species widely distributed throughout the western Palaearctic, the main characteristics of its wing venation have not been quantified until now. A six-variable analysis of wing venation (number of antenodal and postnodal cross-veins, number of cells in the anal triangle and in the anal loop) in specimens from several European countries was carried out. The results showed that: (a) females had a greater number of transversal veins and cells in the anal loop than males; (b) the values of these four variables were significantly lower in males from the Iberian Peninsula than in those from elsewhere; (c) within the Iberian Peninsula two groups of populations can be distinguished: one covers the north and the other the rest of the peninsula, the latter with two subgroups, one in the centre and one in the south and east. The number of cells in the anal loop is a valid variable for analyzing geographic differences in this species.

Keywords: Anisoptera, dragonflies, Iberian Peninsula, odonates, wings

Issue section: Original Article