Although there is mounting evidence that passive mechanical dynamics of insect wings play an integral role in insect flight, our understanding of the structural details underlying insect wing flexibility remains incomplete. Here, we use comparative morphological and mechanical techniques to illuminate the function and diversity of two mechanisms within Odonata wings presumed to affect dynamic w...

The sexual selection strategies of territorial Odonata that do not present courtship behavior is still not completely understood, especially the role of the females. Diastatops obscura Fabricius (Odonata: Libellulidae) females participate in mate selection in a passive manner, allowing copulation with the first male that captures them and afterwards choosing whether to oviposit or not. This stu...

Insects of the order Odonata have been used as indicators environmental quality in different aquatic systems around world. In this context, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to understand general patterns research on published past decade (2012–2021). We extracted literature from Web Science (WoS) advanced search option and terms related plus strings for each term. A total 2764 publications ...

In this paper we present a de novo assembly of the transcriptome of the damselfly (Enallagma hageni) through the use of 454 pyrosequencing. E. hageni is a member of the suborder Zygoptera, in the order Odonata, and Odonata organisms form the basal lineage of the winged insects (Pterygota). To date, sequence data used in phylogenetic analysis of Enallagma species have been derived from either mi...

The larva of Epigomphus crepidus Kennedy is described and figured and compared with other described congeners. It is characterized by 3rd antennomere spindle-shaped, flattened dorso-ventrally, twice longer than its widest part; ventral pad of hypopharynx pentagonal; prementum subrectangular, with lateral margins slightly convex on apical 0.60; ligula very poorly developed, with a ventral row of...

In the lakes of the Middle Rio Doce, Minas Gerais (MG), two groups of larval Libellulidae are distinguished by preferences of habitat use: one uses mainly aquatic macrophytes and the other uses the bottom substrate. The goal of this work was to verify if there is a morphological distinction between the two groups of species. Thirteen body measures were taken from the larvae and analyzed. No dif...

Aeshna shennnong sp. nov. (holotype male: Dajiuhu national wetland park in Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, Shennongjia City, Hubei Province, China, 28. VIII. 2013) is described, illustrated and compared with its most similar congener, A. petalura Martin, 1908. The holotype will be deposited in the Collection of Aquatic Animals, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan ...

The ultimate stadium larva of Neuraeschna claviforcipata is described and illustrated based on an F-0 exuvia of a reared female from northern Amazonas State, Brazil. This larva differs from the other two known larvae of the genus in lacking the spiny lateral prominence of the mandible, and in having only a short spine each side of the median cleft of the prementum; labium is shorter and cercus ...

Trait data are fundamental for many aspects of ecological research, particularly for modeling species response to environmental change. We synthesised information from the literature (mainly field guides) and direct measurements from museum specimens, providing a comprehensive dataset of 26 attributes, covering the 43 resident species of Odonata in Britain. Traits included in this database rang...