Odonata species of special concern for Oklahoma, USA

Assessment of conservation status is a necessary step before management plans can be formulated. Historically such assessments have a strong bias toward vertebrates, particularly endothermic terrestrial vertebrates (i.e. birds and mammals). Invertebrates, by contrast, tend to be ignored, and many insect groups, despite being species rich and reasonably well studied, such as the Odonata (damselflies…

Egg hatching phenology and success of Lestes macrostigma in two temporary brackish ponds

Although a full life cycle approach is optimally needed to make conservation decisions, the egg stage is often neglected for insect species of special conservation interest. Water management and related abiotic factors are relevant factors to consider in aquatic species. Lestes macrostigma is a threatened damselfly restricted to temporary brackish waters. Here we provide detailed…

Redescription of the holotype of Mecistogaster pronoti Sjöstedt, 1918 (Zygoptera: Pseudostigmatidae)

Mecistogaster pronoti Sjöstedt, 1918 was described based on a female holotype deposited in the Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm, collected in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The original description has no illustrations, which makes its identification very difficult. Herewith we redescribe and illustrate this holotype. The species is red listed and considerations regarding its conservation are…

An update on the distribution of threatened odonate species from the Greater Antilles

The Antilles harbour several island endemic odonate species, including some palaeoendemics, within a relatively small and anthropized area. Such attributes give this archipelago a special significance for the conservation of Odonata in the Neotropics. However, despite the importance of these islands, inadequately surveyed regions persist, mainly in the Greater Antilles, and there is not enough…