Noble dragonflies

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Noble dragonflies
young female of the blue-green damsel (Aeshna cyanea) with exuvia

young female of the blue-green damsel ( Aeshna cyanea ) with exuvia

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Subclass : Flying insects (Pterygota)
Order : Dragonflies (Odonata)
Subordination : Dragonflies (Anisoptera)
Superfamily : Aeshnoidea
Family : Noble dragonflies
Scientific name
Aeshnidae
Rambur , 1842

The noble dragonflies ( Aeshnidae) are a family of the large dragonflies ( Anisoptera) within the dragonflies (Odonata). 14 species of this group live in Germany and are among the largest and most conspicuous of the native dragonflies.

features

Dragonflies are usually large to very large dragonflies. On the head, the complex eyes meet directly over a longer distance. Different features of the wing veins are characteristic: The wing triangle is similar in size in all four wings, with the same orientation. The discoidal field consists of three rows of cells or meshes. The front branch of the median vein is fused with the rear (fifth) radial branch towards the wing tip. In the male, the base of the hind wing is usually angular. At the base of the abdomen, serrated lateral appendages called auricula can usually be seen in males (exception: anax ). The ovipositor is well developed in females . The larvae are usually elongated, their capture mask is flat and bristles.

The native noble dragonflies reach spans of up to 11 centimeters, such as the great royal dragonfly ( Anax imperator ) , which is quite common in Central Europe . The body of the animals is usually drawn conspicuously and can have a wide variety of color combinations.

Way of life

The dragonflies are very skillful flying insects. Most of the species in this family are quite persistent fliers and sometimes have very different demands on their habitat. Species that need special mentioning and are dependent on special habitats, such as the raised bog damsel ( Aeshna subarctica ) ( bog areas with peat moss ( Sphagnum )) or the green damsel ( Aeshna viridis ), which live in Central Europe with dense populations of crab claws ( Stratiotes aloides ) needed are critically endangered. Other, relatively undemanding species such as the great dragonfly , the blue-green damsel ( Aeshna cyanea ) or the autumn damsel , on the other hand, can be found in very many different bodies of water and their populations are therefore not yet endangered.

Reproduction

In most species of dragonfly, the males form territories in the developing waters, which they defend against intruders. The mating usually begins in the air, the actual copulation mainly takes place high up in the trees. It happens that the females mate several times in a row with different partners. It was not until 1979 that the studies led by Libra brought revolutionary findings to light. The copulatory organ of the male is not only used for fertilization, the male is also able to remove sperm from its predecessor from the female's semen pouch. Already formed tandems of copulating sexual partners are often attacked by other males, with the winner taking over the female.

The egg-laying of the dragonfly takes place by piercing the eggs into living or dead plant material, mostly in the absence of the male. Exceptions are the small royal dragonfly ( Anax parthenope ) and the saddlecloth royal dragonfly ( Anax ephippiger ), which lay the eggs in the so-called tandem position accompanied by the males.

Systematics and taxonomy

The Aeshnidae ( sensu lato ) are a morphologically well delimitable family with a relatively basal position within the large dragonflies. They are usually divided into the two subfamilies Aeshninae and Brachytroninae, which some editors also regard as independent families. Others split off a family Telephlebiidae from these. Few systematists raise further tribes to families, but the proposed families (Allopetaliidae Cockerell, 1913, Gynacanthidae Cockerell, 1913, Gomphaeschnidae Tillyard & Fraser, 1940, Caliaeschnidae Bechly, 1996) have found little acceptance.

The Aeshnidae (in a broader sense) and their sister group , the southern hemisphere family Austropetaliidae , together form the superfamily Aeshnoidea. This position is well established by morphological and molecular studies. In previous studies, the relationship to the Petaluridae family was uncertain . However, this is no longer included in the aeshnoid in newer systematics. It is unclear whether the Petaluridae are the sister group of the Aeshnoidea, various studies have produced contradicting results.

The oldest Aeshnide, the Cretaeshna lini described after an isolated wing enclosed in Burmese amber, dates from the Cretaceous period.

Species in Central Europe

Large royal dragonfly

literature

  • H. Bellmann: Dragonflies watch - determine , Naturbuch Verlag, Augsburg 1993, ISBN 3-89440-107-9 .
  • G. Jurzitza: The Kosmos Dragonfly Guide , Franckh-Kosmos Verlags GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-08402-7 .
  • G. Peters: The Edellibellen Europe: Aeshnidae , Die Neue Brehm-Bücherei Vol. 585, Wittenberg 1987, ISBN 3-7403-0050-7 .
  • Sternberg, K. & R. Buchwald (Eds.) (2000): Die Libellen Baden-Württemberg. Volume 2: Dragonflies (Anisoptera). Ulmer, Stuttgart, ISBN 3-8001-3514-0

Individual evidence

  1. ^ D. Allen L. Davies & Pamela Tobin: The dragonflies of the world: A systematic list of the extant species of Odonata. Vol. 2: Anisoptera. Societas Internationalis Odonatologica Rapid Communications (Supplements) No. 5, Utrecht 1985.
  2. ↑ a b c Henrik Steinmann: World Catalog of Odonata II: Anisoptera. Walter de Gruyter, 2013. ISBN 978-3-11-082444-5 .
  3. ↑ Gunter Theischinger: Identification Guide to the Australian Odonata. Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW 2009. ISBN 978-1-74232-475-3 .
  4. Jump up ↑ B. Dijkstra, Klass-Douwe, Bechly, Gunter, M. Bybee, Seth, A. Dow, Rory, J. Dumont, Henri, Fleck, Gunther, W. Garrison, Rosser, Hamalainen, Matti, J. Kalkman, Vincent , Karube, Haruki, L. May, Michael, Orr, Albert, R. Paulson, Dennis, C. Rehn, Andrew, Theischinger, Gunther, WH Trueman, John, Van Tol, Jan, Von Ellenrieder, Natalia, Ware, Jessica ( 2013): The classification and diversity of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 036-045.
  5. ↑ Alexander Blanke, Carola Greve, Raimund Mokso, Felix Beckmann, Bernhard Miso (2013): An updated phylogeny of Anisoptera including formal convergence analysis of morphological characters. Systematic Entomology 38 (3): 474-490. doi: 10.1111 / syen.12012
  6. ↑ Frank Louis Carle, Karl M. Kjer, Michael L. May (2015): A molecular phylogeny and classification of Anisoptera (Odonata). Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 73 (2): 281-301.
  7. ↑ Daran Zheng, Su-Chin Chang, Edmund A. Jarzembowski, Bo Wang (2017): The first aeshnoid dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera: Telephlebiidae) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Cretaceous Research 72: 105-109. doi: 10.1016 / j.cretres.2016.12.013

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