Bionomische Beobachtungen und taxonomische Untersuchungen an Anisoptera von Cuba und dem Östlichen Mexico. (Insecta: Odonata)x

Abstract

During the drier and cooler months in Cuba and eastern Mexico more than 50% of the local dragonfly species are on wing. Tab. 1 gives the record of species observed and the numbers of specimens collected during field work near Vera Cruz and Tampico as well as in the western and eastern parts of Cuba from October to the end of February in 1967/68. Two of the species mentioned (Anax concolor, Macrothermis inequiunguis) are new to the Cuban odonatofauna. The influence of storm on migrating dragonflies and the crepuscular flight of large swarms have been studied in some detail. The own material and the collections in the Berlin Zool. Museum are used for a study of the infraspecific variability of several aeshnid and libellulid species. The results indicate clear evidence of phenetic separation, different from species to species, of Cuban Erythrothemis umbrata, Lepthemis vesiculosa and Orthemis ferruginea whereas equivalent signs of insular isolation are lacking in Anax junius and Pantala flavescens. The West Indian population of Anax concolor likewise expresses a few metrical and morphological differences compared with South American specimens. The degree of detectable phenetic peculiarity of Cuban or Antillean dragonfly populations seems to be correlated with the maesure of vagility of the species concerned.