Critical species of Odonata in Thailand and Indochina

The report provides a summary of our present knowledge of the odonate diversity (over 500 species) in the region and some general data on the habitat conservation in different countries. Thailand has the most diverse and best known odonate fauna, but knowledge of the Laotian and Vietnamese fauna has increased rapidly over the last 10…

Odonata fauna of Sri Lanka: research state and threat status

Altogether 116 odonate species are known from Sri Lanka. The level of endemism is high -53 taxa or 45.7% are confined to the island. The Chlorocyphidae, Euphaeidae, Protoneuridae, Platystictidae, Gomphidae and Corduliidae consist of almost exclusively endemic taxa. The odonate fauna of Sri Lanka is still insufficiently known. Knowledge on distribution, biology and taxonomy of…

Critical species of Odonata in southwestern Africa

In this report we review the conservation status of Odonata of southwestern Africa, viz Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In total, 287 species have been recorded of which three have been previously listed by IUCN. We consider 60 species mainly because of their endemism in the region. The majority of the species have to…

Critical species of Odonata in southern Africa

Of the 160 species in South Africa, 29 are endemic. Threats to the local odonate fauna have increased in recent years due to the growth of agriculture and impact of invasive alien trees. Currently, 13 species are red-listed as threatened. Among the activities to ameliorate threats, is a massive programme, ‘Working for Water’, to remove…

Critical species of Odonata in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula

The region is broadly determined by desert, which forms a huge belt between the western Palaearctic and the Afrotropics. Fourteen out of the 125 odonate species recorded so far are endemics. There are two main centres of endemism in the region: the northern Maghreb and the southern Arabian Peninsula. Odonate habitats in the desert are…

Critical species of Odonata in western Africa

Western Africa—defined as the tropical area from Cameroon westwards—probably has the richest odonate fauna in Africa, particularly the region of (and around) the Cameroon highlands. This region is home to many relict and endemic species, such as the continent’s only representatives of the families Amphipterygidae and Perilestidae. Previous selections of threatened West African Odonata have…

Critical species of Odonata in Madagascar

Madagascar has approximately 175 species of Odonata. Of the Anisoptera ca 60% is endemic and of the Zygoptera almost 95%. The endemic species can roughly be separated into ‘new endemics’ that are probably recent arrivals from the African mainland and ‘old endemics’. The latter group includes many members of the families Megapodagrionidae, Platycnemididae and Corduliidae,…

Critical species of Odonata in eastern Africa

From eastern Africa, ranging from Somalia and Ethiopia south to Mozambique and Zimbabwe and west to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Botswana, ca 500 species of Odonata are known. Comments on species and sites of conservation concern are given as well as recommendations for future research and conservation activities. Due to the rapid and…

Critical species of Odonata in the Neotropics

This report summarizes progress that has been made during the past five years toward the understanding of Neotropical Odonata. It also presents a list of critical species and sites, threats to Odonata conservation in the region, and priorities for further research. This region, the richest in the world for Odonata, must be a focus of…