Coenagrion interrogatum
The subarctic damselfly ( Coenagrion interrogatum ) is a Kleinlibellenart from the family of dragonflies Slim ( Coenagrionidae ), the southern limit of distribution is further north than any other Kleinlibellenart and the one of the dragonflies with the northernmost and coldest habitat. For winter, the frost protection substances in the blood protected larvae to freeze in the ice. Are populated boreal bogs and swamps, especially the sphagnum quaking at the edges of marsh ponds. The occurrence of the subarctic Azurjungfer are usually scattered and rare, the population density is low. Coenagrion interrogatum is angulatum with Coenagrion and Coenagrion resolutum one of three occurring in America Azurjungfern species.
- 5.1 Literature
- 5.2 Notes and references
Features
Characteristics of the adult bees
Coenagrion interrogatum has a body length of 28 to 32 millimeters and has hind wings with a length of 17-21 millimeters. The basic color of the male imagos is bright blue, the blue eyes are on the upper side dark, so that they act as covered by a cap. The subarctic Azurjungfer is characterized by the Antehumeralstreifen the lateral thorax. These are slightly wider than the Humeralstreifen and pierced near the rear end, so that they act as an exclamation point. In individual cases, the strips may be even narrower, even more rarely undivided. The underlying blue thorax pages are azure bridesmaid typical of two from the wing roots outgoing, fine black lines structured, of which the lower is flared at both ends striking. On the underside of the thorax there is a distinctive Y-shaped drawing that others lack Slim dragonflies. The second segment of the abdomen bears a U-shaped drawing with flat base and wide legs, which can be broken at the inflection points also. The drawing is sometimes referred to as a cute face grimace described with comically large eyes remembering. The third segment has blackened a black distal ring, the following segments are to ever larger parts, the fourth segment in half, the fifth and the sixth three-quarters to seven-eighths. The seventh segment has only a narrow proximal blue ring, also the distal side is blue, so that the result together with the eighth and ninth segment for a long Coenagrionidae unusual two and a half segments blue area. The tenth segment is black.
The females are built stronger; the thorax figure corresponds to the males. The eyes are on the upper side brown over a pale green. The abdomen is dorsally mostly black with narrow pale rings at the segment joints that are wider at the eighth and ninth segments. The first two segments are bright, the second has oberseits a torpedo-shaped drawing on over a broad basis. The tenth segment is bright The females have black markings on the underside of the thorax, as well as distinctive dark strips lateroventral the third to seventh abdominal segment. The female imagos occur in two color morphs on, usually they are blue as the males ( androchrome form), but there are also greenish heterochromic ( like the females colored ) individuals.
Similar Species
Characteristic of C. are interrogatum the broken Antehumeralstreifen - although this resolutum even at Coenagrion and Enallagma can occur geminatum - as well as the widening of the lower stretches of the thorax lateral surfaces and the Y-shaped drawing of the thorax underside. The two and a half segments long blue area of the posterior abdominal segments distinguishes the male imagos from the other two occurring in North America Azurjungfern, may also show the broken Antehumeralstreifen. A confusion is at best even with Enallagma aspersum possible that bears a similar abdomen, but is much slimmer and has never broken Antehumeralstreifen. No other female Slim Dragonfly in the distribution area has a ninth and tenth, and at the distal end of the eighth abdominal segment colored blue and has no broken Antehumeralstreifen.
Dissemination
The main occurrence of C. interrogatum lies mainly in western Canada, ranging from eastern Alaska to Maine and Newfoundland. The southern limit of the distribution is further north than any other small dragonfly.
The habitat of C. interrogatum are boreal bogs and swamps, especially the sphagnum quaking at the edges of often stood by shrubs bog ponds.
The occurrence of the subarctic Azurjungfer are usually scattered and rare, the population density is low, so it is in their habitat, which is often colonized by C. resolutum, usually less common than those to be found.
Way of life
The adults keep preferably in the dense vegetation and are rarely to be seen over the open water. Copulating pairing wheels can often be latching encountered in bushes up to head height. Eggs are laid partly with coupled males in flooding sedges or grass leaves and erect stems. For more information about reproduction and development of C. interrogatum are not known. Since they live in the same habitat resolutum and with the same phenology as angulatum C. and C., is presumed to have a similar way of life. In the Yukon, it was observed that the hatching time of the subarctic Azurjungfer lay of C. resolutum before.
The flight time of the imagos is dependent on latitude and begins in Eastern Canada in May and extends into August, in Montana until July; in the West in Ontario and Maine flies the subarctic Azurjungfer only in June and July, whereas in Québec May to September. In southern Wisconsin is the flight time from June to August, in Washington only in July.
System
Coenagrion interrogatum is placed within the Slim dragonflies in the genus of Azurjungfern ( Coenagrion ), which was created in 1890 by William Forsell Kirby. The 40 species counted genus is mainly used in Europe and Asia and in America next Coenagrion interrogatum angulatum only Coenagrion and represented Coenagrion resolutum. C. with C. interrogatum related resolutum closer than with C. angulatum, which is also reflected in the choice of their habitats. They prefer high moors, whereas C. angulatum is rare to find here. Physically, too, are similar, the two species, C. angulatum contrast, built much stronger. All three species have relatives in the Old World, with which they are more closely related than with each other.
Coenagrion interrogatum was first described in 1876 by Hermann August Hagen, the epithet interrogatum means " challenged ", but it is not known which question Hagen had in mind when he named the species. In some cases it is assumed that the name refers to the shape of Antehumeralstreifens, however rather an exclamation point because like a question mark. The English name " Subarctic Bluet " aptly describes the far -reaching northward distribution of the species to the subpolar zone.