Selysiothemis nigra - a new species of dragonflies for the fauna of Ukraine
Selysiothemis nigra (male), Turkey (Photo: Vincent Kalkman)
New species for Ukrainan fauna Selysiothemis nigra was discovered by Dr. V.M. Tytar (Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, Ukraine). One female have been recorded 20.07.2002 on the western part of Pokrovka (Kovalevka) village, Ochakov district, Mykolayivs'ka Oblast' (Province) (46;28;36N 31;39;33E) on the bank of Chirnino lake. The length of individual was 33,5 mm (from the head till the last abdominal segment), the wing spread of the forewings was 61 mm (Tytar, 2007).
In 2006 the species was found in the vicinity of Karadag Nature Reserve (Crimea prov., Feodosiya distr.; 45 00'N 35 15'E). A female was collected on 15 July near the Biological Station of Karadag Nature Reserve, and a male was taken on 22 July at a hill above the Lis'ya Bay, SW of Primors'ke village. The specimens had no visible damage, therefore it is assumed that they originate from a population in the vicinity. The were found in arid, rocky vaults with scanty shrubs and grasses, a common habitat on the Black Sea coast of the southeastern Crimea. The nearest freshwater reservoir is Otuzka river that flows into the Black Sea on the territory of Primors'ke village. The river is at this locality shallow, with vegetated banks and a bottom covered by blanket algae. It is possible that the specimens originated from spme pools, located remote from the river, i.e. in valleys between the Karadag mountain ridges (Matushkina, 2007).
After two years from the last record, a species was recorded in Khersonskaya Oblast', surroundings of Biosphere Reserve "Askania Nove", bank of Sivash (1 male, 2 females). 24.07.2008. Coordinates: 46;17;34N 34;09;45E (Khrokalo et al., 2009)
In the last years several new records were founded in Crimea. Three sites are described (Savchuk, Karolinskiy, 2013).
1. Selysiothemis nigra. Crimea, Kerch Peninsula, surroundings of Mysovoje village, salt-marsh, 21.06.2011 - 1 male (Atamanenko). 45;26;03N 35;50;14E
2. Selysiothemis nigra. Crimea. Feodosijskij gorsovet. NE to village Primorskoje, Frontovoje water reservoir, dirt road along the shore, 7.07.2013 - single individuals (Savchuk). 45;10;21N 35;30;32E
3. Selysiothemis nigra. Crimea. Feodosijskij gorsovet, E to village Primorskij, dam of the water reservoir, dirt road along the shore, areas with a sparse herbaceous vegetation, 7 and 11.07.2013 - over 10 specimens, over 4-5 specimens in sight (Savchuk). 45;08;04N 35;31;58E
Found mainly in central Asia and the Middle East. Scarce in the eastern Mediterranean, rare further west. Principally coastal in our area, but in Africa confined to oases in the Sahara (Dijkstra, 2006).
Selysiothemis nigra was added into the checklist of Ukrainian Odonata. Russian, Ukrainian and English names of the species are available.
The name of the species (Latin. niger, nigra, nigrum - black) is connected with it's colour. The black colour is very expressed in the species colouration, old males become almost black (Pavlyuk, Kharitonov, 1982).
Literature
Tytar V.M. Selysiothemis nigra (Vander Linden, 1825) – a new species of dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) for the fauna of Ukraine // Vestnik Zoologii. - 2007. – Vol. 41. – N 2. - P. 122. Download PDF
Pavlyuk R. S., Kharitonov Yu. Nomenclature of dragonflies (Insecta, Odonata) USSR // Useful and pest insects from Siberia, Novosibirsk. - 1982. - P. 12-42.
Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe / Ed. by Dijkstra, K-D. - British Wildlife Publishing, 2006. – 320 p.
Matushkina N.A. Selysiothemis nigra (VANDER L.) new for the fauna of the Ukraine// Notul. odonatol. – 2007. – V. 6, № 10. – P. 118–119.
Хрокало Л.А., Савчук В.В., Дятлова Е.С. Новые находки редких видов стрекоз (Insecta, Odonata) в Украине // Вестник зоологии. – 2009. – 43(4). – С. 378.
Khrokalo L.A., Savchuk V.V., Dyatlova E.S. New records of rare dragonflies (Insecta, Odonata) in Ukraine // Vestnik Zoologii. - 2009. - 43 (4). - p. 378.
Savchuk V.V., Karolinskiy E.A. New Records of Rare Dragonflies (Insecta, Odonata) in Ukraine. Vestnik zoologii, 47(6): 506, 2013.
