BIOTOPE SELECTION BY ADULT MALE DRAGONFLIES (ODONATA) AT AN ARTIFICIAL LAKE CREATED FOR INSECT CONSERVATION IN SOUTH-AFRICA

A large pond at the National Botanical Gardens, Pietermaritzburg, Sout h Africa was created as part of an ecological landscaping urban projec t for plant and insect conservation. Biotope preference by resident ad ult male dragonflies was used to determine the conservation value of t he created conditions. Various biotopes were created to cater for the apparent preferences of adult male dragonflies. Stenotopic species wer e highly sensitive to a number of factors such as sunlight or shade, t o still of flowing water; and to vegetation structure. The provision o f a wide range of appropriate biotopes was shown to increase local spe cies richness move than two-fold, but with loss of one riverine specie s that was formerly present. Most of the colonisers were eurytopic and vagile, but some were more local, stenotopic species.