ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE ON FLYING BEHAVIOR OF DRAGONFLY BRACHYTHEMIS CONTAMINATA AT DIFFERENT TIMES ON THE EDGE OF SAGULING DAM

• Main Author: Ardena Muchlinta, Valasya
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/81847
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Environmental factors are known to play an important role in regulating dragonfly behavior. However, it is poorly known about this influence on flight behavior, especially the flight activity level and Accompanying Behavior (AB) of dragonflies, both male and female. The species used as the subject of this research was Brachythemis contaminata because it is widespread in Indonesia and easy to find in urban areas. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in flight activity level and AB of male and female B. contaminata due to the influence of environmental factors at three different times. In addition, this study was also to determine the correlation between the flight activity level and AB in B. contaminata. Data collection was carried out on the edge of Saguling Dam with a total duration of 180 hours. Environmental factors was obtained from temperature, humidity, light intensity, and wind speed. Flight activity level data was obtained from ratio time in flight using focal animal-all occurrence method, while AB was obtained from the duration and distances of AB using the transect method. These data were taken in the morning, afternoon, and evening and analyzed using either One Way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis for environmental factors and rank transformation Two Way ANOVA for flight activity level and AB. In addition, the correlation between flight activity level and AB was evaluated using the Spearman correlation test. The results showed that the flight activity level in the evening was significantly higher than in the afternoon for both B. contaminata male and female (p < 0,05). In addition, B. contaminata female performed AB with significantly higher duration and distance in the evening compared to the morning and afternoon (p < 0,05). This difference may be caused by optimal environmental conditions in the evening, whereas in the afternoon tends to have high temperatures and low humidity which can influence dragonfly activity. In contrast, male individuals did not show AB with significant differences at three different times which may be related to territorial behavior. The strong positive correlation between flight activity level and AB suggests that flight intensity can influence AB (0.60 ? ? ? 0.79). In conclusion, optimal environmental factors increased flight activity level and AB of B. contaminata in the evening. In addition, flight activity level was strongly positively correlated with AB in B. contaminata.