Caracterización biométrica de larvas de Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807) en Sierra Nevada (sureste de la Península Ibérica)

Abstract

Cordulegaster boltonii is a dragonfly widely distributed in Europe and North Africa, with populations recorded in more than 25 countries. However, biometrics studies carried out on larvae of this species are very scarce. Based on previous research and the purpose of this study, four highly representative morphological parameters have been selected and used to characterize larvae of this species: total length (TL), abdominal length (AL), head width (AC) and length of the right metathoracic pteroteca (LP). This research is the first biometric study carried out with C. boltonii larvae from five water courses in the Sierra Nevada, southeast Iberian Peninsula. When comparing the values of these variables between larvae of different sexes and larval stages, no significant differences were detected between the studied populations. The results reveal very homogeneous and unique values for the species in Sierra Nevada, establishing a biometric pattern for the last four larval stages (F-3 to F-0), also taking into account the sex of the specimens.