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Territorial behaviour of a rainforest dragonfly Notiothemis robertsi (Odonata: Libellulidae): proposed functions of specific behavioural patterns
Author(s) -
Clausnitzer Viola
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1998.tb00081.x
Subject(s) - intraspecific competition , patrolling , libellulidae , dragonfly , odonata , rainforest , biology , interspecific competition , ecology , geography , archaeology
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.