Ecological correlates of odonate assemblages of a Mediterranean stream, Wadi Cherf, northeastern Algeria: implications for conservation

We investigated the odonates of Wadi Cherf, a tributary of Wadi Seybouse, and explored the main environmental factors that may be important drivers of the abundance and diversity of Odonata assemblages. PCA analyses demonstrated a significant altitudinal gradient associated with water flow, temperature, vegetation cover, substrate and adjacent land use. Notably, pollution was a dominant…

A new species of Ceylonosticta Fraser, 1931 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from Sri Lanka

A new species of Ceylonosticta from the wet zone of Sri Lanka is described and illustrated, namely Ceylonosticta goodalei sp. nov. (Kuruwita-Erathana foot path, Seethagangula, Adam’s Peak, Samanala Nature Reserve, Ratnapura, 6.8196°N, 80.4615°E, 1109 m asl). The species is described from male specimens only and the genital ligula is described and illustrated. Females are as…

A hotspot for threatened Mediterranean odonates in the Seybouse River (Northeast Algeria): are IUCN population sizes drastically underestimated?

Several odonate species are threatened in the Mediterranean basin and some of them show alarming decreasing trends. The distribution and population estimations provided by the IUCN are based on occasional field sampling or non-rigorous methodologies and could be erroneous and misleading. To obtain reliable estimations of the population size and distribution of three threatened species,…

Aspects of life history of Platycnemis subdilatata (Zygoptera: Platycnemididae) in Northeast Algeria

The determination of seasonal regulation is important to understand how species have adapted to their local environmental conditions. In this study, we investigate the life history of a North African endemic damselfly, Platycnemis subdilatata, in a northeast Algerian population. We combined field and laboratory investigations to assess the embryonic development, larval growth, emergence pattern and…

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…

Winter survival by dragonfly adults in the Cape Floristic Region

Little is known about the ability of adult dragonfly individuals to survive into or over the winter in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), a significant biodiversity hotspot in South Africa. Dragonfly species richness and abundance were recorded throughout winter and into spring in Jonkershoek Nature Reserve. Several environmental variables were also measured. Individuals of eight…

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….