Abstract
The reproductive behaviour was observed at a pond in Fig Tree Pocket, Brisbane, Australia, from Oct. 2010 to Jan. 2011. In total, 769 individuals were marked in the field for observations pertaining to the daily activity patterns and reproductive cycle of this sp. Forty-one I. heterostida pairs were collected and kept in the laboratory for detailed observations of the reproductive behaviours, copulation duration and oviposition, and to determine the duration of larval development. It started to form mating pairs from ca 5:00 to 9:00 am, foraged from ca 9:00 am to 13:00 pm, and finally ♀ ♀ oviposited mainly from ca 13:00 pm to 16:30 pm. Oviposition usually occurred in the following days after mating. Mating pairs formed the tandem position for about 13 s, then copulated in the wheel position on average for 195 min, and upon completion of insemination formed a tandem position again for about 12 s. On average, ♀ ♀ spent 145 min in actual oviposition, laying several hundred eggs on floating vegetation. Ovipositing ♀ ♀ were not guarded by ♂ ♂. The eggs hatched within 10 to 21 days, and the larvae took 3 to 5 months to develop into adults.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 99-107 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Odonatologica |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |