Odonata (Insecta) communities along an elevational gradient in the Atlantic forest of southeastern Brazil, with the description of the female of Heteragrion mantiqueirae Machado, 2006

Odonata (Insecta) communities along an elevational gradient in the Atlantic forest of southeastern Brazil, with the description of the female of Heteragrion mantiqueirae Machado, 2006 00

G. Stefani-Santos^a , W.F Ávila Jr^b✉️ , M.A. Clemente^c , N.R. Henriques^d , A.S.B. Souza^e , D.S. Vilela^f , M.M. Souza^a

Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do sul de Minas Gerais, Inconfidentes, Brazil
Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Paraná, Umuarama,Paraná, Brazil
Department of Biology, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 24, Pages 178-196, 2021

https://doi.org/10.23797/2159-6719_24_14

Published: 5 November 2021 (Received: 23 January 2021, Accepted: 19 March 2021)

Abstract

Despite the important role of the order Odonata in ecosystems, there is a lack of information about dragonfly communities in several regions, high elevation sites, and environmentally protected areas in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Our objective was to assess the abundance and richness of dragonfly and damselfly communities along an elevational gradient in the Atlantic Forest, southeastern Brazil. This study was conducted in the Fernão Dias Environmental Protection Area, Mantiqueira Mountain region, Gonçalves, Minas Gerais State, in sites covered by Seasonal Semideciduous and mixed forests. This is the first study of Odonata communities in the region. Samplings were carried out on 17 days from October 2019 to March 2020 at three elevation ranges (low, mid, and high). A total of 293 specimens, distributed in 39 species and 9 families, were sampled. Elevation did not influence the richness or abundance of dragonflies but altered community composition. Some species were found to be exclusive to high-elevation sites, such as Heteragrion mantiqueirae Machado, 2006, which was recorded for the first time in Minas Gerais and we provide a description and diagnosis of the single female collected in tandem. A novel species of the genus Brechmorhoga was found to occur at mid and high elevations. The composition of dragonfly communities depends on the degree of preservation and extension of forest areas. Therefore, conservation of forests in Gonçalves is crucial for preserving Odonata diversity in Minas Gerais State.

Keywords: Anisoptera, altitude, diversity, dragonfly, preservation, Zygoptera

Issue section: Original article