Aeshna caerulea (Ström), a new dragonfly for the fauna of Slovenia (Anisoptera: Aeshnidae)

August 13, 1992, while traversing by car the Jelovica Plateau (Upper Camiola. NW Slovenia) from Škofja Loka to Bohinj, we came across A. caerulea al a small pond along Ihc road, some way SE of the Rovtarica alp (alt. ca 1100 m). The (non-boggy) pond was frequented by a few incidental. A. cyanea (Müll.) and A. grandis (L.), but it seemed too small to provide a suitable breeding habitat for these species. While collecting voucher specimens, a caerulea male suddenly flew in from somewhere, and it landed on one of us in the manner characteristic of this species. This is the first record for both Slovenia and the Julian Alps. The nearest known locality is probably Flattnitz, N of the Karawanken Mts, in Carinthia. Austria (cf. R. PUSCHNIG, 1930, Carinthia (II) 119/120: 62-65). Along with the records from Trenlino and Lombardy in Italy (for references cf. G. CARCHINI ct al„ 1985, Fragm. enlomol. 18: 91-103), the Jelovica Plateau represents the southern border of the hitherto known caerulea Alpine range.