Foraging flights of Sympetrum infuscatum (Selys) adults inhabiting cedar forest gaps of satoyama (Odonata: Libellulidae)

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  • KATO Kenta
    Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba
  • WATANABE Mamoru
    Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba

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Other Title
  • 里山のスギ林内に生じたギャップで生活するノシメトンボの採餌飛翔
  • サトヤマ ノ スギバヤシ ナイ ニ ショウジタ ギャップ デ セイカツ スル ノシメトンボ ノ サイジヒショウ

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Abstract

After emergence, adults of the dragonfly Sympetrum infuscatum (Selys) moves from rice paddy fields to cedar forests of satoyama in Japan. They stay in the forest gaps throughout their lives, with intermittent visits to rice paddy fields to oviposit there. The forest gaps are used not for mating but for foraging, resting and roosting. They adopt sit-and-wait tactics for foraging to flying small insects such as Diptera and Hymenoptera. The foraging flights of sexually mature adults were observed from late August to early September. The height of perching site was about 2 m in the forest gaps. Each observation was continued until the adult dragonfly left the gap. The foraging flight occurred with a diurnal rhythm, peaking around noon. Females showed 36 foraging flights on average per hour, while males 24 per hour. The number of daily foraging flights was significantly higher in females than in males. About 34% and 33% of flights in females and males, respectively, were successful to capture the target prey. The daily number of captured prey insects was 102 per female and 64 per male. Since the average dry weight of a prey insect flying in forest gaps was 0.17 mg, the daily food intake of a female and a male was calculated 17 mg and 11 mg, respectively, both of which were similar to the amount of food intake estimated in laboratory-reared adults.

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