Selysiothemis nigra (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 : 38-39

(11) Selysiothemis nigra (Vander Linden, 1825)

Material examined: Loc.4: 13.07.2014, 1 ♀, (1 ♀ - observation). Loc.5: 1♂ (photo).

Currently, Selysiothemis nigra is known only from the southwestern part of Turkish Thrace near the border with Greece ( Kalkman et al., 2004). The present study recorded this species together with L. tetraphylla in the center of the region in a place rather far from the border. A male specimen was photographed in Kıyıköy located along the shore of the Black Sea in June 2015 ( Figure 2 ). These records probably represent individuals of a population migrating to the region, most probably from Greece, similar to migrating populations of L. tetraphylla .

A specimen being inconspicuous with typical dark blue eyes, sand-colored body, and small white pterostigma on the wings was observed perched on a plant between short plants near the border of a barrage. Although this specimen was caught, another female observed at the same location suddenly disappeared from sight. No other individual of the species could be found in the local environment on the same or the next day. When a female specimen was placed in an envelope for examination, a green egg mass was observed sticking to the tip of its abdomen. As Gashtarov and Beshkov (2010) interpreted a similar observation of L. tetraphylla , if the female specimen of S. nigra in Tatarköy had not been caught, it is most likely that she could have laid her eggs in the local reservoir or in ephemeral reservoirs in the local environment.

Studies in the last few years showed both the presence of S. nigra and L. tetraphylla from new localities and also expansion of their distributions towards the north in Europe ( Gashtarov and Beshkov, 2010; Kulijer et al., 2012; De Knijf et al., 2013; Boudot, 2014; Stille et al., 2014; Uboni et al., 2015). New data related to these species found in Europe in the last few years exhibit a positive correlation with increasing number of studies and artificial reservoirs ( Uboni et al., 2015). Findings of L. tetraphylla and S. nigra given in the present paper are also from barrage lakes. Records of these species can be thought to be individuals of a migrating population. When taking into account that a mating attempt was observed with an interspecific species by L. tetraphylla and an egg mass was observed in the abdomen of S. nigra in the study region, it is most likely that these species will be permanently indigenous in artificial ponds and reservoirs in this region in the future. The increasing number of studies conducted in the region will be able to provide clear answers to the present questions related to the distribution and ecology of this species in the future.

Figures

Figure 2. Male of Selysiothemis nigra from Kıyıköy.