The Dragonfly Nymphs of Thailand (Odonata: Anisoptera): An Identification Guide to Families and Genera

ISBN-13: 9783031337116 / Angielski

Rodolfo Novelo-Guti?rrez; Robert Sites

Spis treści

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION

It contains a brief description of what is a dragonfly, the origins of the order Odonata, the number of species worldwide, the life cycle, the importance of dragonflies in food webs, and conservation.

Chapter 2. MORPHOLOGY 

The whole Anisoptera larval morphology is described and illustrated in detail.

Chapter 3. STUDY AREA 

The Thailand’s geographical localization, relief, hydrology, climate, precipitation, agriculture, history, and faunal studies are mentioned briefly, including one map of the country with the 77 provinces and another map with the Thailand’s relief.

Chapter 4. UPDATED LIST OF ANISOPTERA

The most complete list list of the Anisoptera of Thailand is provided, which includes the 203 species recorded up to date.

Chapter 5. KEY TO SUBORDERS AND FAMILIES 

The key is illustrated with color photographs showing details of the larval morphology useful for the separation of families and genera of the Anisoptera larvae of Thailand.

Chapter 6. SYSTEMATIC TREATMENT (Phylogenetically for families, alphabetical for genera)

This chapter is the core of the work. It contains keys and detailed descriptions of each of the 82 genera of Anisoptera of Thailand whose larvae are known to date, illustrated with high resolution photographs of the dorsal and ventral habituses, as well as complementary photos of other important diagnostic morphological features. Notes on larval habitats and data on distribution including maps, are also provided for each genus.

Aeshnidae

Introduction to the family and a key to genera of Aeshnidae 

11 Genera described in detail

Gomphidae

Introduction to the family and key to genera of Gomphidae 

27 Genera described in detail

Chlorogomphidae

Introduction to the family and key to genera of Chlorogomphidae 

2 Genera described in detail

Cordulegastridae

Introduction to the family and genus Cordulegaster described in detail

Macromiidae

Introduction to the family and key to genera of Macromiidae 

Two Genera described in detail

Corduliidae

Introduction to the family and key to genera of Corduliidae 

Five Genera described in detail

Libellulidae

Introduction to the family and key to genera of Libellulidae 

34 Genera described in detail

GLOSSARY

Contains a list of the 89 terms used along the work, each one briefly explained.

REFERENCES

Contains a list of the 168 references of the literature cited along the work.

INDEX

An alphabetical list of the families, genera, and themes treated in this work is provided.

O autorze

Dr. Rodolfo Novelo-Gutiérrez was educated at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Following graduation at this institution, he taught General Entomology courses for more than a decade. In 1989, he joined the Institute of Ecology, A.C. in Xalapa city. Since then, his studies have focused on the taxonomy of tropical Odonata, although he has also published several papers on aquatic Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Trichoptera. In 2010, he studied odonate nymphs at the University of Sains Malaysia at the invitation of Dr. Che Salmah. From this experience, he published several papers on the odonate fauna of Southeast Asia. In 2012, he began collaborating with Prof. Sites on samples of Odonata nymphs of Thailand that had been collected over the previous 25 years.

Professor Robert Sites has had extensive involvement with Thailand over the past 25 years, including in both education and research. He has taught various entomology courses to Thai students, served as major advisor for several Thai graduate students, and is known to his Thai colleagues and students as "Ajarn Bob". For nearly 20 years, he taught an annual University of Missouri study abroad course to Thailand for American students. His research on aquatic insects has been conducted in collaboration with Thai colleagues and has included field work in nearly all Thai provinces. The taxonomic focus of his studies has been primarily on Odonata and Heteroptera, but also has included studies on Trichoptera and several families of aquatic Coleoptera. In an ecological study, he studied the recovery of the freshwater lentic insect community in waterbodies along the coastline that were inundated by seawater during the tsunami of 2004. 

Blurb

This unique work is the first reference that provides detailed descriptions of the fully developed larvae of the Odonata suborder Anisoptera, including keys to families and genera, high resolution photographs, distribution maps, and an up-dated list of the dragonfly species from Thailand. Also, because the adults are so well known in this country, this book will provide completion to our understanding of the life cycle of an entire fauna. Through the six chapters of this book, the reader will find an introduction with generalities of the order Odonata, a description of the morphology of a dragonfly larva with emphasis in the structures used in the keys, a brief description of Thailand’s geography, relief, hydrology, climate, precipitation, agriculture, history, and faunal studies, and detailed descriptions of each of the 82 genera of Anisoptera of Thailand whose larvae are known. This book will have broad appeal in the large community of odonatists around the world and for the aquatic entomologists, ecologists, and conservationists interested in the Southeast Asian fauna in general.