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Sexual difference of lifetime movement in adults of the Japanese skimmer, Orthetrum japonicum (Odonata: Libellulidae), in a forest‐paddy field complex

1989; Springer Science+Business Media; Volume: 4; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/bf02346945

1440-1703

Mamoru Watanabe, Takayoshi Higashi,

Animal Behavior and Reproduction

Abstract The mark‐and‐recapture method was used to study the lifetime movement of the Japanese skimmer, Orthetrum japonicum , in a forest‐paddy field complex in the warmtemperate zone of Japan. The flight season was from mid April to late June. The age structure showed that the maiden flight occurred towards the forest from the emergence sites (paddy fields) for both sexes. The insects returned to the paddy fields after maturation. The total number of skimmers estimated in the whole survey area was about 1000–2000, of which about 200 males were found in the paddy fields. The average lengths of the immature and reproductive periods were about 10 and 20 days in both sexes, respectively. Most mature males tended to stay in the paddy fields and showed territorial behavior, while most mature females moved frequently between the forest and the paddy fields. The average extent of each territory was about 19 m 2 , being established mainly in the shady paddy fields. Few males were sneakers. The available habitat throughout the life span for the skimmers was both the paddy fields and the forest.