Lindenia tetraphylla (Vander Linden, 1825)

Hacet, Nurten, Online, Published & Version, Final, 2017, Updated checklist of Odonata fauna in the Turkish Thrace Region, with additional records of new, rare, and threatened taxa, Turkish Journal of Zoology 41 (1), pp. 33-42 : 37-38

(8) Lindenia tetraphylla (Vander Linden, 1825)

Material examined: Loc.1: 04.07.2013, (2 ♂ - observation), barrage lake; (a few males- observation), cultivated areas near a barrage lake. 08.07.2013, 1 ♂, barrage lake; 1 ♂, (a few males- observation), cultivated areas near the lake. 10.07.2014, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, (about 10 males and 1 or 2 females- observation), cultivated areas near the lake; (about 10 males and 3 females- observation), barrage lake. Loc.4: 12.07.2014, (a heterospecific tandem between a male of this species and a female of O. albistylum (Selys) - observation), barrage lake; 13.07.2014, 1 ♂, barrage lake.

L. tetraphylla is a migrant species and its distribution extends from Central Asia throughout the Arabian Peninsula and the Anatolian part of Turkey to the island of Sardinia ( Italy) ( Boudot et al., 2009). The southern part of the Anatolian peninsula also has localities where L. tetraphylla has been recorded ( Kalkman and Van Pelt, 2006b).

3.1.1. Comments and observations on heterofamilial heterosexual tandem between a male L. tetraphylla and a female O. albistylum

A mixed pairing between a male of L. tetraphylla and a female of O. albistylum (Selys, 1848) at the barrage lake of Tatarköy village, Kırklareli Province, is reported in the present study. A male of L. tetraphylla was observed flying over the lake. After this male specimen was pursued for 10–15 min (it flew over the water and perched along the border of the lake from time to time in this period), eventually it perched on a small dried plant along the border of the lake. In the meantime, a few S. fonscolombii (Selys, 1840) and O. albistylum were flying nearby along the border of the lake. When a male L. tetraphylla began to fly between individuals of O. albistylum , surprisingly, it suddenly caught a female O. albistylum . The tandem position continued for a short time (probably 3 or 4 s); the female suddenly inverted its abdomen downwards and a wheel position consisting of the two species of the families Gomphidae and Libellulidae appeared. The pair in the wheel position flew away towards the center of the pond; when I attempted to approach them slowly, they suddenly disappeared from sight.

Corbet (1999) indicated that 10% of the heterospecific pairings in the reported records were heterofamilial of the same suborder. A report does exist of a tandem linkage between a male Libellulidae and a female Gomphidae in records of currently known heterofamilial connections ( Utzeri and Belfiore, 1990). The present study reports an adversely anomalous pairing between a male Gomphidae and a female Libellulidae . Furthermore, the anomalous connection reported in this communication is probably the first record for L. tetraphylla .

3.1.2. On the possibility of occurrence of L. tetraphylla in the region

Permanent populations of the species are known from lake and river regions with vegetation areas in its range in Europe. Exuviae of the species were reported from barrage lakes without vegetation or with a marshy shore in Gökçeada ( Kalkman and Van Pelt, 2006a). Resident populations of L. tetraphylla found in Sardinia and Crete recently showed that the species colonize on islands far from the main land, and also these populations were reported from manmade reservoirs ( Handersen and Leo, 2011; Boudot, 2014). The new data of the species in Europe in the last years showed that it was probably either overlooked or colonized in its range.

In the present study mating positions or egg laying behaviors of female in the Uzgaç locality were not observed. However, flights of males and females on water were seen occasionally. On the other hand, a male L tetraphylla observed at the Tatarköy barrage lake attempted to mate with a female of O. albistylum . Even if the populations of the species given from both localities in the present report are thought to be individuals of a population migrating through the region, this mating attempt with another species shows that the species will be able to most probably colonize in these water reservoirs.

Cordulegastridae