Reproductive behaviour of a North African endemic damselfly, Platycnemis subdilatata (Odonata: Platycnemididae) and probable senescence effects

Although the endemic damselfly, Platycnemis subdilatata Selys, 1849, is widespread in the Maghreb, many aspects of its reproductive behaviour, biology and ecology are still unstudied. One particular feature of this species is that its coloration pattern continues to change during maturation and afterwards, which makes it a good model for assessing age effects on behavioural…

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…

Two new species of Pyrrhargiolestes, with a key to the males (Odonata: Argiolestidae)

Two new species belonging to the endemic New Guinea genus Pyrrhargiolestes are described from Papua New Guinea: P. lamington sp. nov. (holotype: Mount Lamington, Oro Province, dep. in RMNH) and P. yela sp. nov. (holotype: Rossel Island, Milne Bay Province, dep. in USNM). The presumed male of P. aulicus is described for the first time….

Critical species of Odonata in Europe

The status of the odonate fauna of Europe is fairly well known, but the current IUCN Red List presents only six species out of ca 130, two of which are actually out of danger today. In this paper we propose a tentative list of 22 possibly declining or threatened species in the region. For the…

Critical species of Odonata in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei

Malaysia, Brunei and the Indonesian archipelago comprise a total land area of ca 1.84 million km2 including ca 13,000 islands, lying entirely within the tropics. The region is bisected by Wallace’s line and supports a rich Oriental fauna to the west (Sundaland) and mainly Australian elements to the east. Taxonomic studies throughout the region were…

Critical species of Odonata in the Asian part of the former USSR and the Republic of Mongolia

The region covered is briefly defined and characterized as relatively little disturbed. A survey of relevant odonatological literature, including local Red Lists, is given, along with current scientific activity. Sixteen species are indicated, which deserve special attention, one of them, Ischnura aralensis, being the only strict endemic in the region. Some isolated populations deserving protection…

Critical species of Odonata in Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus

An overview is given of the present knowledge and current research on the Odonata fauna of Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus. The occurrence of endemic taxa and of rare and possibly threatened species is discussed. The use of water from various aquatic habitats is reviewed in order to gain insight in existing and potential problems,…