Odonata from the Tibesti Mountains and the Ounianga Lakes in Chad, with notes on Hemianax ephippiger accumulating in the desert

Fourteen species of Odonata were collected in Ounianga and Tibesti (Chad, Africa) in March 2014. Among them, only one zygopteran (Ischnura saharensis, with a Saharan distribution), one gomphid (the eremian Paragomphus sinaiticus), and two aeshnids (Anax imperator and Hem ianax ephippiger) were present. The latter species was not only the most common dragonfly, but also the most abundant insect seen in the desert. It is likely that it was in a phase of accumulating individuals, possibly as a prelude to another massive trans-Sahara and even trans-Mediterranean migration, for which the species is well-known. The 10 libellulids recorded were almost all Afrotropical species, but several expand to the Maghreb and even Mediterranean Europe. Only Orthetrum cf. hintzi is a tropical African species that had never been recorded from the desert before

Atrocalopteryx melli orohainani ssp. nov. on the Island of Hainan, China (Zygoptera: Calopterygidae)

The new sp. is described from the mountain core of Hainan, southern China, where it usually occurs at altitudes not lower than 300 m asl. It lives on the same type of small, shaded rivers as the nominate ssp. on the continent, and is distinguished by its larger size, slightly less enfumed wings, and a 2.6% difference in the sequence of the barcoding portion of the mitochodrial DNA-cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI). Holotype male: Diaoluoshan mountain, 6-VIII-2011; deposited in the Inst. Hydrobiol., Jinan Univ., Guanghou. It is argued that this geographically defined ssp. evolved because of persistent poor gene flow with continental populations, caused by the lowland "panhandle" between Hainan and the continent. This barrier was probably functioning equally well during interglacials (like at present) as during pleniglacials (when Hainan was connected to the mainland), because lack of suitable environments (small sized running waters), and dry and cold conditions continued to limit the contact with A. melli of the mainland

Consecutive earthquakes temporarily restructured the zooplankton community in an Alpine Lake

Two consecutive earthquakes temporary changed a zooplankton community in a high-mountain Lake Krn (altitude 1383 m a.s.l.). It was dominated by the eurytherm copepod, Cyclops vicious, until 1998, when the first earthquake hit the lake (EMS = 5.6). After the earthquake, the population of C. vicious collapsed and the thermophilic cladoceran, Ceriodaphnia quadrangula, took over. After the second earthquake in 2004 (EMS = 4.0), C. vicious became untraceable. In 2008, few copepods reappeared and by 2010 they became the sole dominant again. Only Secchi-disc depth showed a statistically significant increase over time, while P,, and temperature showed an increasing trend, yet the relationship was insignificant. To compare multi-parameter properties of the water column, the studied period was divided into Period 1 (before the first earthquake). Period 2 (between earthquakes) and Period 3 (after the second earthquake). A Hotteling T-2 test confirmed a statistically significant difference between Periods 1 and 2 & 3 (P 0.1). During simple laboratory experiment, specimens of C. vicious were covered with a thin layer of sediment, to mimic the earthquake's effect on their survival. A hypothesis was that the timing of both earthquakes had been crucial for decimation of C. vicious population as they re-suspended sediment with hibernating copepodites. As these became subsequently buried they were deprived of a re-activation signal and exposed prolonged anoxic conditions there. C. quadrangula temporary filled the void left by the copepod, which needed 6 years to regain its dominance

Additions to the dragonfly fauna of Yemen

During June 19-24, 1990, 26 odo- nate spp. were collected from 5 localities. Trithemis donaldsoni is an addition to the fauna of the Arabian Peninsula. Enallagma nigridorsum is a new record for Yemen. The presence of Pseudagrion arabicum in Yemen is confirmed. The South Arabian Pseudagrion sublacteum is found to belong to the nominal subspecies, not to ssp. mortoni

Mass Transfer Characteristics in Gas-liquid-liquid System

Experimental results of mass transfer in air-water system with a dispersed immiscible organic liquid in a bubble column 0.076 m in diameter for seven different organic liquids at various hold-up are presented. Experiments are carried out at gas superficial velocity in the range 0.0052-0.026 m/s at 293 K. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient, kLa is determined by dynamic gas absorption technique. Overall gas hold-up is also measured. Slight addition of n-decane, dodecane and n-heptane in air-water medium significantly enhances mass transfer from the gas phase, to the continuous aqueous phase whereas toluene, anisole and 2-ethyl- 1-hexanol retard mass transfer

Aeshna vercanica sp. nov. from Iran with a new insight into the Aeshna cyanea-group (Odonata: Aeshnidae)

Aeshna vercanica sp. nov. is described and illustrated. The male holotype and four male paratypes were collected on 15-vii-2013 in the Hyrcanian forest of the Alborz Mountains, Mazandaran province, northwestern Iran. A specimen collected on 29-vi-2002 in the Talysh Hills, Lankoran area, Azerbaijan, also belongs to the new species. In July 2014 the species, including females, was recorded again at the type locality and additionally ca 400 km further east in Golestan province. Males are similar to Aeshna cyanea in the structure of genitalia and terminalia but differ in head morphology, pterostigma length, colour pattern, and behaviour. Females have small abdominal blue or turquoise postero-median dorsal spots which are absent on S9 and S10, thin green antehumeral stripes, a less robust appearance than females of A. cyanea, and are more slender and longer. The range of A. vercanica sp. nov. covers the Hyrcanian forest along the southern margin of the Caspian Sea. Analysis of the barcoding COI sequence of DNA confirmed that A. vercanica sp. nov. is separated from A. cyanea by a genetic distance of ca 4%. The ITS gave a similar result. A haplotype map could not derive A. vercanica sp. nov. directly from A. cyanea. They are thus related but different species, and we suggest the common ancestor lived in pre-Pleistocene times. Analysis of A. cyanea specimens from across its range also revealed a western clade from the Maghreb to Central Europe. Populations from the Caucasus to Eastern Europe were polytomous, a common scenario for post-glacial invaders. A molecular comparison of the species pair A. juncea and A. subarctica showed these to be even more closely related than A. cyanea and A. vercanica sp. nov

The mitochondrial genome of Atrocalopteryx melli Ris, 1912 (Zygoptera: Calopterygidae) via Ion Torrent PGM NGS sequencing

The mitochondrial genome of Atrocalopteryx melli was sequenced and assembled via Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and iteratively assembly process with a reference seed. This genome is 15,562 by long and A + T biased (71%), with 37 genes arranged in common order of Odonata. All protein-coding genes are initiated by typical "ATN" codon, and 9 genes are terminated with a complete stop codon, except nad4, nad5, cox2, and cox3, which are terminated with an incomplete codon "T(aa)". The S5 intergenic spacer is absent in this genome, supporting that lacking of S5 as a specific character for damselflies. The A + T rich region of A. melli is 267 bp longer than that of A. atrata. This mitogenome provides new molecular information for understanding of A. melli and Atrocalopteryx