Small pincer level
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Little dragonfly ( Onychogomphus forcipatus ) ♂ |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Onychogomphus forcipatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
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The little dragonfly ( Onychogomphus forcipatus ) is a species of dragonfly from the family of the river damsel ( Gomphidae ), which belongs to the large dragonflies ( Anisoptera ). The species is divided into three subspecies with different geographical distribution: The nominate form of the little dragonfly ( Onychogomphus forcipatus forcipatus ) inhabits northern, central and eastern Europe. There is also a south-west ( Onychogomphus forcipatus unguiculatus ) and a south-east widespread subspecies ( Onychogomphus forcipatus albotibialis ), which, however, may already be regarded as separate species.
features
The small pincer dragonfly is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 5.5 to 7.5 centimeters. The males, like all pincer dragonflies, have large, pincer-shaped abdominal appendages, which in this species are mostly black. On the top of the head there is a light, elongated spot behind the ocelles . The eyes of the males are intensely green in the nominate form, in the subspecies O. f. unguiculatus blue-green to blue.
distribution
The species has a western Palearctic distribution area with occurrences in Europe (except Great Britain, Denmark and Norway), North Africa and Asia Minor. The nominate form O. f. forcipatus is distributed from northern Europe to Switzerland and southern France, in Eastern Europe and from the Balkans to the Black Sea. There are also populations in Calabria and Sicily. The distribution area of the southwestern subspecies O. f. unguiculatus begins in France and extends from southern Switzerland over the Apennine Peninsula (excluding Calabria and Sicily) and the Iberian Peninsula to North Africa. The southeastern subspecies O. f. albotibialis can only be found on a few islands of the Aegean within Europe and is distributed from there across Asia Minor to the southeast.
habitat
The dragonfly is found mainly on warm streams and rivers with gravelly or sandy banks. In addition, the corresponding bank areas of larger still waters are populated - in eastern Germany, lake occurrences of the species are the rule.
Way of life
The dragonfly flies in Central Europe from late May to early September. In southern Europe, the emergence period begins in April.
The male occupies an elevated control room on the bank of the potential egg-laying water. From this point of view, other males are driven away or females are approached. Away from the water, the males also like to sit on structures without vegetation such as dirt roads. After mating, the female lays around 500 eggs.
The larvae live buried in the bottom of their waters. Development takes 3–5 years.
literature
- G. Jurzitza: The Kosmos dragonfly guide . Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-08402-7 .
- F. Suhling, O. Müller: The river maids of Europe - Gomphidae. (= The New Brehm Library. 628). Westarp, Magdeburg and Spektrum, Heidelberg 1996, ISBN 3-89432-459-7 .
- K. Sternberg, B. Höppner, A. Heitz, S. Heitz, B. Schmidt: Onychogomphus forcipatus (Linnaeus, 1558). In: Klaus Sternberg, Rainer Buchwald (Hrsg.): Die Libellen Baden-Württemberg. Volume 2: Dragonflies (Anisoptera). Ulmer, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-8001-3514-0 , pp. 327-348.
Web links
- The little dragonfly (Onychogomphus forcipatus) - needs clean, near-natural waters State Nature Conservation Administration Baden-Württemberg, Biodiversity Action Plan (accessed on July 15, 2010)