Moulting pattern and mortality during the final emergence of the Coromandel Marsh Dart Damselfly Ceriagrion coromandelianum (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) in central India

Main Article Content

Nilesh R. Thaokar
Payal R. Verma
Raymond J. Andrew

Abstract

The final emergence of the Coromandel Marsh Dart Damselfly Ceriagrion coromandelianum was studied for 50 days (22 January–12 March, 2011) from the botanical garden of Hislop College, Nagpur, India, (a semi controlled site) where small underground cement tubs/tanks are used to grow macrophytes by the Botany department.  In C. coromandelianum emergence is asynchronous, diurnal and occurs between 07.00h and 18.00h.  Stage-I starts when the ultimate instar nymph of C. coromandelianum leaves the water body, searches for a suitable place and then begins to shudder its body to detach the trapped pharate from the nymphal exuvia.  The pharate exerts pressure on the thoracic tergites to split the cuticle.  Stage-II starts when the head and thorax of the pharate emerges out of the split exuvia.  The pharate struggles to remove its trapped body from the nymphal exuvia.  During Stage-III, the wings expand but are opaque; pigmentation of the body occurs simultaneously all over the body.  Soon the whole body develops its species specific coloration while the expanding wings gain transparency, unfold and separate out and now the imago is ready for its maiden flight.  Stages I, II, and III occupy 31.66%, 11.73%, and 56.60% of the total moulting period, respectively.  A total of 243 emergences occurred during the observation period, 158 emergences occurred in tanks containing Pistia stratiotes, while 65 emergences in tubs containing Nymphaea nouchali indicating that C. coromandelianum prefers P. stratiotes over N. nouchali for oviposition.  Twenty deaths were recorded during the present observation.  Failure to moult (15%) and failure to emerge completely out of the exuvia (85%) were the two reasons for mortality.


 

Article Details

Section
Communications

References

Andrew, R.J. (2010). Mortality during emergence of Pantala flavescens Fabricius in central India (Anisoptera: Libellulidae). Odonatologica 39: 57–62.

Andrew, R.J. (2012). Field notes on emergence of Pantala flavescens (Fabricius) in central India (Anisoptera: Libellulidae). Odonatologica 41: 89–98.

Andrew, R.J. & N. Patankar (2010). The process of moulting during final emergence of the dragonfly Pantala flavescens (Fabricius). Odonatologica 39: 141–148.

Andrew, R.J., K.A. Subramanian & A.D. Tiple (2008). A Handbook of Common Odonates of Central India. Pub. S. Asian Council of Odonatology, India for 18th International Symposium of Odonatology Nagpur, India.

Andrew, R.J., N. Thaokar & A.A. Dhamani (2011a). Oviposition and details of egg shell fine structure in Ceriagrion coromandelianum (Fabricius) (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica 40: 169–178.

Andrew, R.J., N. Thaokar & A.A. Dhamani (2011b). Sentinel position of the male during oviposition in the damselfly Ceriagrion coromandelianum (Fabricius) (Insecta: Odonata). Hexapoda 18: 24–32.

Arai, Y. (1987). Dragonfly nymphs feigning death. Insectarium Tokyo 24: 358–361.

Banks, M.J. & D.J. Thompson (1985). Emergence, longevity and breeding area fidelity in Coenagrion puella (L.) (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica 14: 279–286.

Bennett, S. & P.J. Mill (1993). Larval development and emergence in Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Sulzer) (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica 22: 133–145.

Corbet, P.S. (1957). The life history of the emperor dragonfly, Anax imperator Leach (Odonata: Aeshnidae). Journal of Animal Ecology 26: 1–69.

Corbet, P.S. (1999). Dragonflies- Behaviour and ecology of Odonata. Harley, Colchester.

Eda, S. (1963). Emergence of Epiophlebia superstes Selys. Tombo 6: 2–7.

Farkas, A., T. Jakab, A. Tóth. & A. F. Kalmár (2012). Emergence patterns of riverine dragonflies (Odonata: Gomphidae) in Hungary: Variation between habitats and years. Aquatic insects 34: 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650424.2012.643030

Gribbin, S.D. & D.J. Thompson (1990). A quantitative study of mortality at emergence in the damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Sulzer) (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Freshwater Biology 24: 295–302. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.1990.tb00710.x

Gribbin, S.D. & D.J. Thompson (1991). Emergence of the damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Sulzer) (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) from two adjacent ponds in northern England. Hydrobiologia 209: 123–131. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00006924

Haslam, C. (2004). Chronological patterns of emergence of dragonflies in Carver Pond, Bridgewater, MA. Bridgewater State University., Undergraduate Review 1: 62–72. Available at http://vc.bridgew.edu/undergrad_rev/vol1/iss1/15

Inoue, K. (1964). On the type of emergence behavior of dragonflies. International Journal of Kansai Shizenkagaku 16: 19–23.

Inoue, K. (1979). Review of Japanese Dragonflies part 6 (Concluded). Families Coenagriondae, Platycnmididae, Lestidae and Megapodagrionidae. Journal of Gracile 24: 1–20.

Jakob, C. & F. Suhling (1999). Risky times? Mortality during emergence in two species of dragonflies (Odonata: Gomphidae, Libellulidae). Aquatic Insects 21: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1076/aqin.21.1.1.4537.

Kumar, A. (1980). Studies on the life history of Indian dragonflies, Ceriagrion coromandelianum (Fabrcius) (Coenagrionidae: Odonata). Records of the Zoological Survey of India 76: 249–258.

Kurata, M. (1974). Alpine dragonflies: a survey and an account of a pursuit of Aeshna juncea. Seibundo-shinkosha,Tokyo.

Lutz, P.E. (1968). Life history studies on Lestes eurinus Say (Odonata). Ecology 49: 576–579.

Heymer, A. (1972). Comportements social et territorial des Calopterygidae (Odon. Zygoptera). Annales de la Société entomologique de France (N.S.) 8: 3–53.

Mathavan, S. & T.J. Pandian (1977). Patterns of emergence, import of egg energy export via emerging dragonfly populations in a tropical pond. Hydrobiologia 56: 257–272. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00014293

Miller, P.L. (1995). Dragonflies. Richmond, Slough.

Pajunen, V.I. (1962). Studies on the population ecology of Leucorrhinia dubia. V. d. Lind. (Odonata: Libellulidae). Annales Zoologici Societatis Zoologicae-Botanicae Fennicae ‘Vanamo’ 24: 1–7.

Purse, B.V. & D.J. Thompson (2003). Emergence of the damselflies, Coenagrion mercuriale and Ceriagrion tenellum (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), at their northern range margins in Britain. European Journal of Entomology 100: 93–99. https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2003.018

Rowe, R.J. (1987). The Dragonflies of New Zealand, Auckland University Press, Auckland.

Sharma, G. (2009). Life history and reproductive behaviour of Ceriagrion coromandelianum (Fabricius) (Odonata: Insecta). Annals of Forestry 17: 298–310.

Thaokar, N.T., P.R. Verma & R.J. Andrew (2018a). Breeding behaviour of the Coromandel Marsh Dart Damselfly (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae: Ceriagrion coromandelianum (Fabricius) in central India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10: 11443–11449. http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3537.10.3.11443-11449

Thaokar, N.T., P.R. Verma & R.J Andrew. (2018b). Breeding behaviour of the damselfly Ceriagrion coromandelianum (Fabricius) (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) in central India: I. Copulation. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10: 12203–12209. http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3529.10.9.12203-12209

Thompson, D.J. (1991). Size-biased dispersal prior to breeding in a damselfly: conflicting evidence from a natural population. Oecologica 87: 600–601. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00320427

Thompson, D.J., M.J.Banks, S.E. Cowley & J. Pickup (1985). Horses as a major cause of mortality in Coenagrion puella (L.) (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) Notulae Odonatologicae 2: 104–105.

Tillyard, R.J. (1917). The Biology of Dragonflies. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Trottier, R. (1966). The emergence and sex ratio of Anax junius Drury (Odonata: Aeshnidae) in Canada. The Canadian Entomologist 98: 794–798. https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent98794-8

Ubukata, H. (1981). Survivorship curve and annual fluctuation in the size of emerging population of Cordulia aenea amurensis Selys (Odonata: Corduliidae). Japanese Journal of Ecology 31: 335–346.