An interesting record of Crocothemis erythraea (Brullé) in midwestern Poland (Anisoptera: Libellulidae)

On 26 August 1999, 1 6 of C. erythraea was collected (and 1 was sighted) in a gravel pit near Bielice, 9 km to the E of Rzepin, 52°21T0” N, 14°58T0” E. There were some ponds of various depth and transparency, but males only flew over and by a small strongly insolated shallow (to 30 cm) pond with clear water. Emergent vegetation was low, mainly along shores: Sparganium emersum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Mentha aquatica, Berula erecta, some Typha latifolia; submerged vegetation: Elodea canadensis, fine Characeae. The habitat coincides with the preferences for sand and gravel pits noticed in Germany (J. OTT, 1996, Naturschutz Landschafts- Pfl 28: 53-61, 132). Among 16 other dragonfly species recorded in the gravel pit noteworthy were: Erythromma viridulum, Sympetrum depressiusculum, S. striolatum, S. pedemontanum. On 30 August there was no C. erythraea. So far C. erythraea has been recorded in Poland sporadically, in the South (Fig. 1): 1 probable and 3 certain records listed in A. CZEKAJ (1994, Notul. odonalol. 4(3): 53) and 2 enigmatic records, from Chorzów = Königshütte (R. TÜMPEL, 1922, Die Geradfliigler Mitteleuropas, Perthes, Gotha) and Ojcow (A, PONGRACZ, 1923, Arch. Nalurgesch. (A) 89(11): 244-259). C. erythraea has been recorded in central Europe mainly in the southern parts but has reached even Belgium, the Netherlands, central Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland (J. ASMERA & A. DOLNŸ, 1989, Acta Fac. paedag. oslraviensis (E) 117(19): 95-101; – A. CZEKAJ, 1994, Notul. odonalol. 4(3): 53; – M. WASSCHER, R. KETELAAR, M. VAN DER WEIDE, A. STROO,