Rhyothemis graphiptera ( Rambur, 1842 )

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 : 91

Rhyothemis graphiptera ( Rambur, 1842)

( Fig. 96 )

Libellula graphiptera Rambur, 1842: 45 .

Distribution ( Fig. 97 ). This species inhabits eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia ( Tsuda 2000) and New Caledonia where it is recorded at a dozen localities all over Grande Terre. Some specimens collected in 2001 in La Foa (Pocquereux valley) and in 2007 in the Poya municipality (Beaupré) are preserved in the CXMNC col- lection.

Habitat. It occurs in swamps, ponds and calm sections of watercourses. It avoids ultramafic soil.

Biology and behaviour. The larva was briefly illustrated by Theischinger and Hawking (2006). Males are ter- ritorial, perching on, for example, a dominant rush above the water and driving away all dragonflies passing too close to them.

Status. Ryothemis gaphiptera has a relatively wide range in New Caledonia, but is rarely abundant. We there- fore suggest ranking it NT.

Figures

FIGURE 96. Rhyothemis graphiptera, male.

FIGURE 97. Records of Rhyothemis graphiptera.