Notes on occurrence of Odonata in Canterbury and Westland (New Zealand)

Observations on the larval habitats of Odonata in lowland Canterbury and Westland, and in the high country between latitudes 42 " 30 ' and 43 " 30'S, were made in preparation for an ecological comparison of the two Zygoptera species Xanthocnemis zealandica and Austrolestes colensonis. A survey was made between March 1969 and January 1970, the results of which are shown in Table 1. Values of p H are given for most waters. Where years are shown, the collections were made by Dr V. M. Stout and others from the Department of Zoology at the University of Canterbury. As these earlier collections were not made especially to collect Odonata, they are less likely to contain all the Odonata species present at the habitat than are the author's collections. Odonata larvae, especially Anisoptera, were more common in Westland than in lowland Canterbury or the high country; there are larger numbers of breeding habitats in Westland. The zygopterans Xanthocnemis zealandica and Austrolestes colensonis were more widely distributed than any of the anisopteran species in the habitats examined. Both species were found together in most permanent pond