Synthemis campioni Lieftinck, 1971

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 : 63

Synthemis campioni Lieftinck, 1971

(Fig. 62)

Synthemis campioni Lieftinck, 1971: 48 .

Distribution ( Fig. 63 ). Endemic to Grande Terre. This species was found in at least 10 localities mainly in the southern half of the island, where the sampling effort was much more intense than elsewhere.

Habitat. Mountain creeks and streams in forests, but also in large fast-flowing streams in the lowlands. Synthemis campioni avoids ultramafic lands.

Biology and behaviour. Larvae develop in relatively calm water along the stream banks in places where partly submerged roots of large trees slow the current. Exuviae are found on trunks and boulders 0.2–1.4 m above the water surface. Males patrol stretches of a bank (6–30 m). Mating (2 observations) occurs during flight, 0.7–1.2 m above the water surface, for 20–30 s, along the stretch of the bank that was patrolled by the male.

Status. Synthemis campioni is probably more widely spread than its known distribution and its populations can be large. As a precaution, we rank it as EN, as only a dozen localities are known.

Figures

FIGURE 63. Records of Synthemis campioni.