Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-vsgnj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-24T04:19:42.038Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Territorial behaviour of a rainforest dragonfly Notiothemis robertsi (Odonata: Libellulidae): proposed functions of specific behavioural patterns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2001

Viola Clausnitzer
Affiliation:
FB Biology/Zoology, Philipps-Universität, 35032 Marburg, Germany
Get access

Abstract

The behaviour of this rainforest dragonfly was studied in the Kakamega Forest, West Kenya. Seven different activities were distinguished: perching, sun-flights, patrolling, inspection, interspecific, intraspecific, and sexual flights. Two-act sequences of these behaviours were analysed and quantified to determine significant transition probabilities. Sun-flights into the tree canopies were the most common flight activity and followed any other behaviour significantly more often than expected. Coming back from a sun-flight, the males preferentially perched or patrolled; after patrolling males typically perched. Most of the time the males spent perching in their territory (32% of total time in territory). Proposed functions of these territorial behavioural activities in Notiothemis robertsi are deduced from these results.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1998 The Zoological Society of London

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)