Original scientific paper
Dragonfly fauna (Insecta, Odonata) in the Turopolje region (Croatia)
Marina Vilenica
orcid.org/0000-0003-2053-2461
; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Department in Petrinja, Trg Matice hrvatske 12, HR-44250 Petrinja
Vlatka Mičetić Stanković
; Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Matija Franković
; IRES – Research and Development of Sustainable Eco systems, Jagodno 100a, 10415 Novo Čiče, HR-10415 Velika Gorica, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
This study presents the results of dragonfly fauna research in the Turopolje region of Croatia. Faunal analyses were conducted in the period from 1986–2009, with some interruptions, while an ecological analysis (composition of dragonflies according to habitat characteristics such as vegetation structure, air temperature, cloudiness) was conducted in the period 2007–2009. Faunal and ecological analyses were carried out at seventeen and nine localities, respectively. A total of 35 dragonfly species was recorded, indicating high species richness in comparison to the total number of 67 species known in Croatia. Zoogeographic analysis of the recorded dragonfly species showed the domination of the Holo-Mediterranean element which indicates complex glaciation and interglaciation processes during the geological past in Europe, when the Croatian territory served as a refugium. The results show that the distribution and abundance of dragonflies are indicative of habitat characteristics (vegetal structure, cloudiness and air temperature). Dragonflies prefer mosaic habitats (diverse vegetation structure) with average air temperatures ranging from 26–28°C and sunny weather. Since this research was conducted in only a part of the whole Turopolje region, and only adult specimens were sampled, further research should be focused on the life cycles of dragonflies and their distribution throughout the entire Turopolje region.
Keywords
dragonflies; Turopolje; fauna; distribution; habitat characteristics
Hrčak ID:
69905
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2011.
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