Ecological studies on a dragonfly, Nannophya pygmaea ramber (Odonata: Libellulidae) I. seasonal changes of adult population and its distribution in a habitat

Abstract

SummaryAdult population of a dragonfly Nannophya pygmaeaRamber inhabited in a damp ground was investigated with mark‐and‐recapture method in 1975. The following results about the seasonal changes of the population size and distribution in the habitat were obtained.Adults emerged from late May to mid August. The number of the adults was most abundant in early June, but that of matured males in early July. From the recapture data, the estimate of daily survival rate was 0.82, and the length of immature stage in males was estimated as 5 days or so. Total number of post‐teneral adults emerged in the habitat was estimated as about 9,000. The mean crowding‐mean density regression method was applied for the analysis of the distribution pattern of the adults. Matured males showed a spaced‐out distribution, while females and immatured males distributed themselves rather aggregatively. Such a distribution pattern of the matured male would be attributed to their territorial behaviour. The territorial behaviour was considered to force the matured males to extend the distribution area in July when they were most abundant.From the above‐mentioned results and some observations, the meaning of the territoriality in this species was discussed.