Faunistic studies in South-East Asian and Pacific Island Odonata : journal of the International Dragonfly Fund
ISSN: 2195-4534
Refine
Year of publication
- 2015 (4) (remove)
Document Type
Language
- English (4)
Has Fulltext
- yes (4)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (4)
12
A three week trip to Hainan and Guangdong provinces was conducted between 26 May and 11 June 2014, sampling odonates within the vicinity of Diaoluoshan National Nature Reserve, Shuimanxing Village (both Hainan Province) and Nankunshan Nature Reserve (Guangdong Province). Additionally, Cordero and Zhang collected at Shuimanxing Village between 13 and 23 June. A total of 103 species in 78 genera were found for Hainan Province and 51 species in 42 genera in Guangdong Province. Lists of all species by locality, photographs of live specimens, are presented to facilitate identification to other collectors.
11
The existing literature on the Odonata inhabiting the three large divisions of the Pacific Ocean (Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia) is revised taking into consideration earlier discussions on the species origin, historical faunistic records, various palaeogeographical models proposed for the area, general data on the biology and ecology of this insect order. Special emphasis is paid on the incomplete data set for the region and inconsistency of the exploration of this vast area. The taxonomy and fauna of the Pacific Odonata is far from complete which makes it very difficult to provide any plausible hypothesis on the biogeographical pattern that we observe today.
The widely accepted view of long distance dispersal from a centre of origin as the only possible means for species to occupy remote oceanic island archipelagos is critically reviewed. There are seven phenomena in the current Odonata distribution that cannot be explained only by random gene transfer mediated by wind dispersal.
Those are called “oddities”, however, they are believed to be regularities of past geological events and modern day human associated activities within the Pacific.
The rationale for each of them is explained in details and illustrated with distribution maps following the current taxonomy of the group.
A new approach is suggested to tackle the question of the origin of the Pacific Odonata by relating the higher taxa distribution to the geological events and palaeontology of the families. It is not intended to be a new hypothesis yet before more systematic studies of the taxonomy and fauna of the group. Therefore, it is believed that the new method suggested here will increase the attention of the scientific community and will boost studies on this insect order within the Pacific Ocean. Discussion on its applicability is provided with attention to details that are difficult to be explained with the Pacific Odonata palaeontology as we know it for the moment.
10
64 (sub)species from 10 families of Odonata were recorded throughout five provinces of Papua New Guinea, including the Bismarck islands of New Britain and New Ireland, from mid-May to early July 1997. The field trip led to the description of two new dam-selfly species (Gassmann, 1999; Gassmann, 2011) and one possibly new damsel- and dragonfly taxon, respectively. For several taxa, considerable range expansions are pro-vided. Agriocnemis aderces Lieftinck, Hemicordulia hilbrandi Lieftinck, Nososticta calli-sphaena (Lieftinck), Nososticta plagioxantha (Lieftinck) and Tanymecosticta fissicollis (Lieftinck) are recorded for Papua New Guinea for the first time. Brachydiplax duiven-bodei (Brauer) is a new record for New Britain. Agriocnemis femina (Brauer), Morton-agrion martini Ris, Nososticta africana (Schmidt), Rhyothemis resplendens Selys, Xiphi-agrion cyanomelas Selys, Brachydiplax duivenbodei (Brauer) and possibly Brachydiplax denticauda (Brauer) are recorded from New Ireland for the first time.
9
New records of Odonata from three of Sarawak’s administrative divisions are presen-ted: Sri Aman, Sibu and Kapit. Idionyx montana is recorded from Borneo for the first time, from Batang Ai National Park in Sri Aman Division. Other notable records include: Podolestes species, Matronoides cyaneipennis, Rhinoneura caerulea, Dysphaea species, Coeliccia campioni, Acrogomphus jubilaris, Procordulia fusiformisand Orthetrum borne-ense.