Odonata of Itatira, a Brazilian semi-arid area in the state of Ceará

Carlos Eduardo Nobrea , Alcimar Lago Carvalhob

  1. Centro de Conservação e Manejo de Fauna da Caatinga (CEMAFAUNA-CAATINGA), Petrolina, Brazil
  2. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Museu Nacional, Departamento de Entomologia. Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 17, Issue 2-3, Pages 73-80, 2014
https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2014.907545
Published: 3 July 2014 (Received: 22 August 2013, Accepted: 19 March 2014)

Abstract

The present study provides the first odonate survey for the Brazilian Caatinga, including species habitat information. Specimens were collected during five days in both dry and rainy seasons of 2011 in the municipality of Itatira, state of Ceará, located in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. Adult individuals of 37 species were documented, the highest richness value thus far recorded for the region. Individuals of the majority of the species were recovered from small, temporary water bodies. In general, the local odonate community is composed of species with wide continental distributions, with the exception of Macrothemis lutea, M. griseofrons and Erythrodiplax leticia, which are restricted to northeastern Brazil. New occurrences and expanded distribution ranges of species are discussed.

Keywords: Anisoptera, aquatic invertebrates, damselflies, dragonflies, tropical dry forest, Zygoptera

Issue section: Article