Volume 14, 2011
Description of a new Sinorogomphus from Northern Laos (Odonata: Chlorogomphidae)
Sinorogomphus hiten sp. nov. is described and illustrated from both sexes (holotype ♂: Laos, Oudomxay province [20°36′14″ N, 102°3′21″ E, 1075 m a.s.l.], deposited in the National Science Museum, Tokyo, Japan). This is also a first record of the genus from Laos. The new species is easily differentiated from the other congeners in the male…
Rediscovery of Mesagrion leucorrhinum (Zygoptera: Megapodagrionidae): a “formal” description of female and ultimate stadium of larva with notes on habits
Adult female and ultimate stadium larva of Mesagrion leucorrhinum are formally described and illustrated based on material from three locations in Antioquia, Meta and Cundinamarca Departments, Colombia. The species is sexually dimorphic. The ♀ is distinguishable from other related genera by a pair of notches in the prothoracic anterior lobe and shares with Heteropodagrion and…
Emergence patterns and adult flight season of Anisoptera at a managed wetland site in Hong Kong, southern China
Anisoptera emergence in the seasonal tropics was monitored at a 35-ha managed wetland site in Hong Kong from February 2004 to November 2007. Exuviae records of 18 species from multiple emergence screens, exuviae traps and transect surveys were combined. The presence of adults during this period was also monitored. The study site comprised a mosaic…
A synopsis of the genus Rhinagrion with description of two new species from the Philippines (Odonata: Megapodagrionidae)
A synopsis is given of the knowledge of the genus Rhinagrion. The males of two new species are described from the Philippines: R. schneideri sp. nov. (holotype: Samar Island, Hinubangan, San Isidro, 31 March–5 April 1992) and R. reinhardi sp. nov. (holotype: Mindanao Island, Surigao del Sur, Carmen, 24 April 1995). Rhinagrion yokoii is synonymized…
Early stadium damselfly larvae (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) as prey of an aquatic plant, Utricularia australis
Two third stadium larvae of Coenagrionidae (probably Coenagrion puella or Ischnura elegans) were recorded in the bladders of U. australis sampled from a garden pond in Karlsruhe, Germany, in June 2010. These are the first records of odonate larvae as prey of carnivorous aquatic macrophytes.
Ovipositor morphology and egg laying behaviour in the dragonfly Lestes macrostigma (Zygoptera: Lestidae)
Lestes macrostigma is a stenotopic dragonfly species of Western Palaearctic distribution that has high conservation status almost throughout its range. It inhabits mainly brackish water with a typical plant species, sea club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus. Due to the absence of special investigations, the nature of this insect–plant association is not clearly understood, but it was supposed…
A synopsis of the genus Philosina with descriptions of the larvae of P. alba and P. buchi (Odonata: Megapodagrionidae)
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…
Spatial displacement of Odonata in south-west Siberia
A brief account is presented of mass dragonfly migrations observed previously in Russia and West Siberia in particular. A mass migration in Libellula quadrimaculata is described in detail. It occurred on 1 July 1981 in the south-western part of the West Siberian Plain in the valley of the Ishym River. From 1968 to 2008 we…
Description of the female of Mortonagrion ceylonicum Lieftinck, 1971 and amended description of the male (Zygoptera, Coenagrionidae) with notes on habitat, distribution and behaviour
The female of Mortonagrion ceylonicum is described and figured for the first time. The female was described briefly by Laidlaw (1924) but was not assigned to a genus or species. An amended description of the male is also provided. Additional notes on habitat, distribution and behaviour are given.
Volume 14, Issue 1
Volume 14, Issue 2
Pseudagrion lorenzi sp. nov., a new damselfly species from New Britain island, Papua New Guinea (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)
Pseudagrion lorenzi sp. nov. is described from New Britain island, Papua New Guinea. Male and female characters are illustrated by means of scanning electron microscopy. A differential diagnosis with Pseudagrion civicum Lieftinck, 1932 from New Guinea and Pseudagrion incisurum Lieftinck, 1949 from the Solomon Archipelago is provided. The female of P. incisurum is described for…
Description of final stadium larva of Erythrodiplax connata and E. basifusca and redescription of that of E. minuscula (Odonata: Libellulidae)
In this contribution the final stadium larvae of Erythrodiplax connata and E. basifusca are described and that of E. minuscula is redescribed. Diagnoses are provided for the larvae of the genus Erythrodiplax and for those included in the connata group. E. connata lacks lateral spines on abdominal segments, a character which has not been observed…
A description of the remarkable larva of Pseudolestes mirabilis Kirby (Odonata: Pseudolestidae)
The larva of the Chinese endemic Pseudolestes mirabilis is described and figured for the first time. Specimens were collected from Hainan, the only known locality for this species. The presence of ventral paired gill tufts on S10 and sack-like caudal gills indicate that among other zygopteran families this species may be most closely related to…
Diel pattern of activity of Lestes macrostigma at a breeding site (Odonata: Lestidae)
Monitoring methods always recommend gathering data during the maximal activity of adults. Hence monitoring the threatened Lestes macrostigma requires knowledge of its activity pattern. Dragonfly “activity” is ambiguous and its intensity can be assessed in different ways, including by the threshold of response to a predator stimulus, i.e. “awareness”. We studied the daily pattern of…
Dragons fly, biologists classify: an overview of molecular odonate studies, and our evolutionary understanding of dragonfly and damselfly (Insecta: Odonata) behavior
Among insects, perhaps the most appreciated are those that are esthetically pleasing: few capture the interest of the public as much as vibrantly colored dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata). These remarkable insects are also extensively studied. Here, we review the history of odonate systematics, with an emphasis on discrepancies among studies. Over the past century,…
The status of two boreo-alpine species, Somatochlora alpestris and S. arctica, in Romania and their vulnerability to the impact of climate change (Odonata: Corduliidae)
It is expected that climate change will have a great impact on many species and habitats. This will be greater if populations are found at the edge of their range or are isolated, and could lead to regional extinction. Here we investigate the possible impact on two boreo-alpine dragonfly species, Somatochlora alpestris and S. arctica,…
The female of Leptobasis melinogaster González-Soriano (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)
The female of Leptobasis melinogaster González-Soriano, 2002 is formally described and illustrated. Female L. melinogaster can be distinguished from the seven other known congeners by the shape and presence of a ventral lobe below the rounded lateral margins of the posterior and median lobes of the prothorax as well as by the dark apices on…
A description of the larva of Heliaeschna uninervulata Martin (Odonata: Aeshnidae) from Singapore, with notes on its relationships
The larva of Heliaeschna uninervulata is described and figured for the first time. Its characters mostly fall within the limits of variation of Gynacantha spp. Comparison of the larval characters of H. filostyla, the only other member of the genus for which the larva is known, suggests that it is not congeneric with H. uninervulata…
Volume 14, Issue 3
Odonata colour: more than meets the eye?
Interpretations of behavioural visual cues, based on human perception of colour, may mislead because of the difference in our visual range compared to other animals. Investigations into ultraviolet (UV) reflectance have shown that this can be an important mode of communication in many animals. The present study focused on 10 species of British Odonata. Digital
Oviposition site selection in Oxyagrion microstigma Selys, 1876 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) is related to aquatic vegetation structure
Oviposition site selection is crucial in the life history of odonates since females must find a suitable habitat to enhance larval survival and development. Males perch at these sites to get access to females to mate. Here we studied how different types of vegetation influence site selection of the damselfly Oxyagrion microstigma in a Neotropical…
Chlorogomphus manau sp. nov. from Sarawak, Malaysia (Odonata: Chlorogomphidae)
Chlorogomphus manau sp. nov. (holotype ♂: Borneo, Sarawak, Kapit Division, Hose Mountains, 15 April 2011, RMNH) from Malaysia is described from the male and compared with other regional Chlorogomphus species.
Morphology of follicle cells of Libellulidae (Odonata)
In libellulids, mature oocyte size varies within and between individual ovaries. The regulating mechanism is not yet understood. Variations in the contents of the follicle cells, and thereby their ability to secrete material into the oocyte, might explain some of the observed differences in oocyte size. We therefore investigated the follicle cell surface, the interstitial…
The neotropical damselfly genus Cora: new larval descriptions and a comparative analysis of larvae of known species (Odonata: Polythoridae)
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….
Morphology of exophytic ovipositors in dragonflies (Odonata: Gomphidae, Corduliidae, Libellulidae), with particular reference to ovipositor muscles and sensilla
A comparative study of female external genitalia was carried out in representatives of three dragonfly families that lay eggs exophytically, with special emphasis placed on skeletal musculature and sensilla. Female external genitalia are characteristically represented by the vulvar lamina and rudiments on the 9th sternum. In a gomphid, Gomphus vulgatissimus, and a corduliid, Cordulia aenea,…
Burmagomphus schneideri sp. nov., a new dragonfly from the south of Vietnam (Odonata: Gomphidae)
Burmagomphus schneideri sp. nov. (Rung Giong, Kanak commune, K’Bang district, 14° 8′42.05″ N, 108° 36′37.33″ E Gia Lai Province in the southern part of Vietnam, leg. Do, 27 iv 2010, to be deposited in Vietnam National Museum of Nature) is described from the male sex and compared with males of the closely related species B….
Description of the last stadium larvae of Argia medullaris Hagen in Selys and A. variegata Förster (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)
Detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided of the ultimate instar larvae of Argia medullaris and Argia variegata from Colombia. The principal features are outlined and compared with other species. Argia medullaris differs from other species of the genus by the parallel width of the lateral gills and prominent ligula; the A. variegata larva can be…
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…
Coeliccia sasamotoi sp. nov. from Vietnam and Laos (Odonata: Platycnemididae)
Coeliccia sasamotoi sp. nov. is described based on specimens of both sexes collected from central Vietnam and Laos. It differs from related species in details of coloration, the shape of the male terminalia, and the shape of the posterior lobe of the female pronotum.
Volume 14, Issue 4
Corrigendum
Morphometric and molecular studies on the populations of the damselflies Chalcolestes viridis and C. parvidens (Odonata, Lestidae)
Morphometric and genetic differences were analysed for two closely related damselflies, Chalcolestes viridis and C. parvidens. A total of 305 male individuals were collected from six European countries (Austria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Portugal). Measurements from a total of 28 populations of C. viridis and C. parvidens and several intermediate forms were collected to…
Dysphaea haomiao sp. nov. from China and Vietnam (Odonata: Euphaeidae)
Dysphaea haomiao sp. nov. (holotype ♂, China, Guizhou, Libo County, Xiaoqikong Scenic Area, Zhangjiang River, alt. c.450 m, 7 May 2007) is described and illustrated for both sexes. The male differs from its closest congeners, Dysphaea basitincta and D. gloriosa, by the blackish, completely opaque coloration of its wings.
Limited spermathecal sperm removal ability in the damselfly Hypolestes trinitatis (Gundlach) (Odonata: Megapodagrionidae)
It has been hypothesized that sperm removal ability in male Odonata (damselflies and dragonflies) has promoted sexual conflict over the sperm stored in the reproductive tract of the female. Although there is evidence supporting this hypothesis, most studies have been conducted in a small number of species from specific families. We explored sperm removal ability…
Behaviour of dragonflies during the 2009 partial solar eclipse in Japan (Odonata: Libellulidae)
Behaviour of dragonflies was observed during the partial solar eclipse in Saitama, Japan, on 22 July 2009. The solar eclipse started at 09:54 h, reached its maximum magnitude of 74.9% at 11:12 h, and ended at 12:29 h. Light intensity at the peak of the eclipse was 1005 lx, a reduction by 28.2% of that…
Oligoclada mortis sp. nov. from Rondônia State, Brazil, and distributional records of other species of the genus (Odonata: Libellulidae)
Oligoclada mortis sp. nov. (holotype male deposited in MZSP: Brazil, Rondônia State, Porto Velho municipality, “T[ransect] 5-21, seg[ment]12” (09°35′19′′S, 65°02′50′′W, 106 m asl, 13 v 2010, leg. Nogueira & Mendes) is described and illustrated based on two males. The new species fits within Borror’s Group III, differing from all other described species in the genus by…
