flats and tidal marshes (Dunson
1980, Smith & Smith 1996, Corbet
1999). Optimal salinity for them is
around 36-38 ppt, although they
are able to live in sea water up to
260% thanks to osmoregulatory
abilities (Dunson 1980). Several
Odonata occupy brackish water of
varying salinity – on San Salvador
(the Bahamas) these ecosystems
are inhabited by Erythemis simplicicollis, Orthemis ferruginea and
Pantala flavescens (Smith & Smith
1996).
Another interesting larval habitat is waterfalls. The best known
example is the African dragonfly
Zygonyx natalensis. After copulation, they fly in tandem through
the water spray and then a female
oviposits in the mats of roots, bryozoans or moss in the spray zone
along a waterfall (Corbet 1962,
Martens 1991). In Panama and
Costa Rica Thaumatoneura inopinata shows similar behavior (Calvert
1914, Silsby 1991). These larvae
are able to live on the wet vertical
rocks behind rapidly falling water
thanks to the dorsoventrally flattened body and long powerful legs
with strong claws (Silsby 1991).
In this article only part of
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