Kolonisatiegeschiedenis en habitatvoorkeur van de Vuurlibel (Crocothemis erythraea) in De Maten (Genk, België): patronen van larven en adulten

Colonisation and habitat preference of Crocothemis erythraea in De Maten (Genk, Belgium). Brachytron 13(1/2): 32-40. This study describes the arrival and colonization of a pond complex situated in North-eastern Belgium by Crocothemis erythraea. The presence of Crocothemis erythraea was monitored by both samplings for larvae and observations of adults. The prevalence of adults and especially larvae increased exponentially during the course of this study, indicating that a large metapopulation could be established within only a few years. The presence of Crocothemis erythraea larvae was positively related to low cover of floating-leaved vegetation and a high cover of submersed filamentous algae and other vegetation. The presence of adults was positively related to water temperature, possibly reflecting a preference for ponds with a high insolation. We found a weak match between ponds where patrolling males were seen and the presence of larvae, possibly indicating that different pond types are selected, although we may have missed larvae occurring at low densities. The colonization of the study area is part of an ongoing northern range shift of this species and exemplifies how quickly a locality may be colonized, and next could serve as a source of dispersers that engage in new colonization events.