Habitat and seasonal segregation among coexisting odonate larvae

Larvae of 35 spp. have been collected in sweep-net samples from the littoral zone of a lake and a pond at Bays Mountain Park. Tennessee, USA. Several spp. are apparently restricted to the fish-free pond ( Anax juntus, A. longipes, Libellula cyanea, Tramea lacerata, Archilestes grandis, Lestes eurinus, Enallagma aspersum); others ( Aeshna umbrosa. Erythemis simplicicollis, Plathemis lydia) are found predominantly in the pond. Bays Mountain Lake contains several spp. of insectivorous fish. Its odon. assemblage is dominated by spp. that utilize submersed macrophyte and allochthonous detritus habitats; 6 of these account for about 909; of the larvae in the lake (Tetragoneuria cynosura, Celithemis elisa, C. fasciata, Enallagma divagans, E. signatum, E. traviatum). Seasonal segregation of life histories probably reduces competition among these dominant spp.; habitat segregation may be more important among the less abundant spp.