Mortality during emergence in two species of dragonfly, Onychogomphus uncatus and Orthetrum coerulescens, was studied at a Mediterranean irrigation canal in France. Overall mortality was 5.2% (n =1901) and 5.7% (n =611), respectively. Predation was low in both species. The prime cause of mortality was incomplete ecdysis resulting from different factors among which heavy wind was the most important in O. coerulescens and lack of suitable emergence supports in O. uncatus. Besides data on mortality the emergence curves of both species are provided.
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Jakob et al. (1999) studied this question.
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