Distribution and composition of Dragonfly and Damselfly species (Odonata) of the upper Rio das Velhas, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Walter Francisco De Ávila Júnior,Frederico Augusto De Atayde Lencioni,Gustavo Lisboa Vieira Machado,Marco Antônio Alves Carneiro

doi:10.11606/1807-0205/2020.60.65

Walter Francisco De Ávila Júnior, Frederico Augusto De Atayde Lencioni + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2020.60.65

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Abstract

This paper describes the composition and distribution of Anisoptera and Zygoptera (Odonata) species of the upper Rio das Velhas in the municipality of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. A total of 727 specimens of 40 species were collected near water bodies over a period of 23 months between 2015 and 2017. The families with greatest species richness were Libellulidae (13 species), Coenagrionidae (12 species) and Heteragrionidae and Aeshnidae (4 species each). Notable among the species collected were Perilestes fragilis Hagen in Selys, 1862, inhabiting well-preserved forests, Minagrion waltheri Santos, 1965, pertaining a endemic genus of Brazil and the recently described Heteragrion cauei Ávila-Júnior et al., 2017, and three species recorded for the first time for the state: Elasmothemis alcebiadesi (Santos, 1945); Erythrodiplax melanica Borror, 1942 and Erythrodiplax acantha Borror, 1942, the latter is considered Critically Endangered (CR) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List.

Highlights

Insects perform essential ecosystem services such as pollination, nutrient cycling and biological control (Costanza et al, 2017)
Odonata, are one of the few insects familiar to the general public (Paulson, 2019). They are relatively large in size, have a high variety of coloring, and the larval stage is considered sedentary, living in a restricted area, and because of these biological issues they are sensitive to physical, chemical and biological changes of water, being used constantly as bioindicators of environmental quality (Corbet, 1999)
After the creation of Parque Natural Municipal da Cachoeira das Andorinhas (PNMCA) in 2005, a new law was approved by municipal administration proposing a new delimitation of the park, which was sanctioned by law No 69/05 establishing its current limits encompassing a total of 557 hectares

Summary

Introduction

Insects perform essential ecosystem services such as pollination, nutrient cycling and biological control (Costanza et al, 2017). Odonata, are one of the few insects familiar to the general public (Paulson, 2019) They are relatively large in size, have a high variety of coloring, and the larval stage is considered sedentary, living in a restricted area, and because of these biological issues they are sensitive to physical, chemical and biological changes of water, being used constantly as bioindicators of environmental quality (Corbet, 1999). Due to these characteristics (Odonata) arouses interest of both the general public and researchers.

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