1. Perching dragonflies are closely associated with the physical structure of vegetation because adults utilise plants when foraging, thermoregulating, and mate‐seeking. However, little attention has been given to which structural attribute of vegetation is playing a key role within foraging habitat use.2. This study focused on the influence of different features of perches on their selection by adult dragonflies. As a model group, a typical percher behavioural guild of Sympetrum was used and experimental plots with artificial perches and different structural properties were established.3. It was found that adults preferred perch sticks with a wider diameter and larger spacing. It is assumed that these perching sites are advantageous because their base is more stable, they provide the best view for successful foraging, and there is no interference among individuals.4. This study also revealed significant differences between male and female preferences. Females used less structured vegetation formed by thin perches in high densities. It is suggested that female discrimination is influenced by the higher competitiveness of males, which is related to their agonistic behaviour.5. These results suggest that the availability of perches in the foraging habitat might be an essential requirement for adults. However, within the terrestrial surroundings of breeding sites, the structure of vegetation providing conditions for perching may be associated only with certain habitats. In intensive landscapes, physically structured vegetation can be limited or completely absent.
Citizen science and data collected from various volunteers have an interesting potential in aiding the understanding of many biological and ecological processes. We describe a mobile application that allows the public to map and report occurrences of the odonata species (dragonflies and damselflies) found in the Czech Republic. The application also helps in species classification based on observation details such as date, GPS coordinates, and the altitude, biotope, suborder, and colour. Dragonfly Hunter CZ is a free Android application built on the open-source framework NativeScript using the JavaScript programming language which is now fully available on Google Play. The server side is powered by Apache Server with PHP and MariaDB SQL database. A mobile application is a fast and accurate way to obtain data pertaining to the odonata species, which can be used after expert verification for ecological studies and conservation basis like Red Lists and policy instruments. We expect it to be effective in encouraging Citizen Science and in promoting the proactive reporting of odonates. It can also be extended to the reporting and monitoring of other plant and animal species.
Although it is well recognized that insects' habitat use and requirements may change during the season, very little attention has been devoted to diel habitat changes in most insects. In this study, we compared habitat utilization patterns of Sympetrum depressiusculum (Selys, 1841) adult dragonflies between daytime activities and nocturnal roosting. During daytime, we captured and marked adult individuals with fluorescent paint in different habitats. At night, we searched, using UV light, for marked individuals that remained on the habitats. We found that habitat selection for daytime activities and that for nocturnal roosting differed significantly. Adults clearly avoided ponds and their immediate surroundings for nocturnal roosting, whereas this habitat type was frequently utilized for daytime activities. We suggest that nocturnal avoidance of the riparian area is associated with lower temperatures, which adversely affect thermoregulation, and that selection of specific habitats for nocturnal roosting is closely associated with vegetation structure providing stability during windy nights and serving as a suitable shelter. Such habitat properties are found especially on fallow land, a habitat type whose representation in agricultural areas has been gradually decreasing in recent decades.
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