Oreaeschna dominatrix Vick & Davies, 1990

Grand, Daniel, Marinov, Milen, Jourdan, Herve, Cook, Carl, Rouys, Sophie, Mille, Christian & Theuerkauf, Jörn, 2019, Distribution, habitats, phenology and conservation of New Caledonian Odonata, Zootaxa 4640 (1), pp. 1-112 : 54

Oreaeschna dominatrix Vick & Davies, 1990

( Fig. 52 )

Oreaeschna dominatrix Vick & Davies, 1990: 188 .

Systematics. Oreaeschna dominatrix belongs to a genus that includes only two species, of which the other one, O. dictatrix , is endemic to Mounts Cyclops in New Guinea. Aeshna (Adversaeschna) Watson, 1992 and Oreaeschna Lieftinck, 1937 present several convergent morphologic characters ( Vick & Davies 1990). In addition, A. brevistyla caledonica shows a strong resemblance to O. dominatrix .

Distribution ( Fig. 53 ). New Caledonian endemic. This species is known from 15 localities, mainly in the Plaine des Lacs and in the valleys of Rivière Blanche and Rivière Bleue. However, some individuals have been collected up to the Mont Panié Massif in the north of Grande Terre and there are also two reports from Lifou.

Habitat. We always encountered this species at streams with large and deep pools or partly sunlit, fairly wide, deep and slow flowing reaches along gallery forests. It seems to have a preference for ultramafic soils.

Biology and behaviour. Flying 1–2 m above the water surface, males patrol sections of about 10 m along the stream or they hover over large pools. From time to time, they rest for between a few seconds to about 10 minutes. The females remain in riparian woodlands except when breeding. In February 2004, Grand (2005) observed a pair mating above the water surface, but the couple rapidly disappeared towards the canopy. The larval biology of the species is unknown. However, DG collected several exuviae assigned to this species.

Status. Two third of the O. dominatrix population is concentrated in the Plaine des Lacs and surroundings. Its occurence in the North Province is not confirmed and it is unlikely that the species reproduces on Lifou which does not have running water. We rank it as VU.

Figures

FIGURE 52. Oreaeschna dominatrix, male.

FIGURE 53. Records of Oreaeschna dominatrix.