Pantala flavescens ( Fabricius, 1798 )

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 : 88-89

Pantala flavescens ( Fabricius, 1798)

( Fig. 94 )

Libellula flavescens Fabricius, 1798: 285 ; Libellula viridula Beauvois, 1805 ; Libellula terminalis Burmeister, 1839 ; Libellula analis Burmeister, 1839 ; Orthetrum mathewi Singh & Baijal, 1955 ; Sympetrum tandicola Singh, 1955 .

Distribution ( Fig. 95 ). Expanding its range northward in the recent years, this pantropical species reached Canada ( Pilon & Lagace 1998), eastern Siberia north of Vladivostok (D. Grand, unpubl. data) and the Balkans ( Ober 2008). In New Caledonia, it is recorded from 40 localities and Bigot (1985) reports it from Ouvéa. Some specimens, collected in 1999 in the Bourail municipality (Gouaro) and in 2003 in La Foa (Pocquereux valley), are preserved in the CXMNC collection.

Habitat. Pantala flavescens is found in a wide range of mostly sunny habitats, including coastal swamps, tempory pools, ponds and lakes, as well as slow open sections of rivers, streams and pools in torrents. It tolerates brackish water.

Biology and behaviour. Its larva, illustrated by Lieftinck (1962), lives in diverse habitats, including those lacking aquatic vegetation and development is extemely rapid ( Corbet 1999: 218). Exuviae are found on any potential perch that emerges from the water. This highly migratory species is able to cross stretches of ocean of several hundred kilometres. Adults, which spend most of the day airborne, can be observed in urban areas, at higher altitudes or in forest clearings, typically flying comparably high and sometimes forming vast feeding swarms. Males are moderately territorial and mating takes place in flight at a height of 2–3 m and lasts about a minute. The female oviposits alone, often at several well-separated sites, rapidly touching the water surface about a dozen times with the tip of her abdomen during each bout ( Grand 2004b).

Status. Without known threats, P. flavescens is ranked LC.

Figures

FIGURE 94. Pantala flavescens, male.

FIGURE 95. Records of Pantala flavescens.