Good evening!
My question is - do anybody have any successful experience of keeping not larvae but adult dragonflies, Zygoptera or Anisoptera in captivity, like of tropical butterflies in butterfly-houses? If yes, then what conditions do they require? Is there any links about this in the net?

In my opinion, even small species need a lot of space and may be kept only in greenhouse. I think it's easier to keep Zygoptera than Anisoptera, because they fly much slower (thus need less space) and are not so agressive towards each other. Probably, bluebottle flies may be used as feeder insects.

Interesting question !

I know of no one who keeps dragonflies year round here in Massachusetts, USA. As you state the space requirements would preclude such activity for most folks.Though we have several species that in the wild never seem to venture too far. I would think that Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) might be a good candidate for such a venture.

And one more notice. Because females are less territorial than males (if they are any), I think their number must prevail.

I have researched this question on the internet and the best I can find is that some scientific papers were written on observations of dragonflies that were followed from ovipositing through adult life by enclosing the entire area in a "field cage"

It wold be interesting to have the convenience of being able to observe generation after generation of dragonflies in captivity but I think I am going to have to content myself with observation in the wild.

Sometimes that can be pretty close

Can you post the link to this article?
I've found one about hovering moth Macroglossum stellatarum keeping.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/y32 ... aa493&pi=7
They were kept in cages 2.5x2x2.2 meters with luminescent tubes placed above and laterally.
I wonder how they didn't bump of the walls and of each other!

Your link worked fine. You have to pay for the whole paper. There has been a lot of research done on the Hovering Hawk Moth. Scientists usually use a newly elosed omago ( a new adult just transformed from a pupae state) for these studies.

That night be an important clue for successful keeping of odonates. Perhaps dragonflies would fare better if they emerged into an enclosure having never know freedom.