Anax gibbosulus Rambur, 1842

(Fig. 43)

Aeschna gibbosulus Rambur, 1842: 187; Anax fumosus Hagen, 1867 . Distribution (Fig. 44). This species is known from the north of India to the north of Australia and from several islands of the south-west Pacific to the Samoa Islands (Tsuda 2000) and Tahiti (Paulian 1998). In New Caledonia, it was reported from the Thy Forest by Lieftinck (1975) and we observed it in the north of the Mont Panié massif. Davies (2002) called it the most abundant species of Anactini of the island, but he did not indicate any locality. Davies may have confused it with A. guttatus (Burmeister, 1839) . Because of their powerful flight and their nervousness, Anax gibbosulus and A. guttatus are difficult to capture and it is impossible to distinguish them in flight. In addition to the observations already known and those we validated, we encountered individuals of Anax at over a dozen additional locations, which we could not assign to either of these two species. To take into account these observations, we provide a joint distribution map which includes both species, each represented by a different icon, as well as a separate icon for observations identified only at the genus level.

Habitat. The species frequents standing water including brackish sites (Theischinger & Hawking 2006).

Biology and behaviour. The larva of this species was partially illustrated by Theischinger & Hawking (2006). Its erratic behaviour drives it far from aquatic environments. It hunts in both open places and in forest clearings (Davies 2002).

Status. Lacking sufficient information about its status in New Caledonia, we assign it as DD.