Odonata community in transition areas between Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes in south-central Minas Gerais, Brazil

Faunal inventories are essential for biota management and conservation, especially in areas with potential for the creation of conservation units. Inventories of insect taxa such as dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata), which perform several environmental services in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, are of great importance. In view of the above, this study aimed to update and expand the list of Odonata species in the Barroso region, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. This study was carried out in three areas of forest fragments in Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes in October 2020, December 2020, January 2021, and March 2021. The sampling effort was 8 hours per day during 20 days, totaling 140 sampling hours. A total of 43 Odonata species were recorded, which increased the richness of the study area from 57 to 76 species. The studied areas harbor rare and endangered species. However, since the last sampling in 2009, there has been a significant reduction in diversity in the Atlantic Forest fragment. In view of the changes that forest fragments are undergoing, we underscore the need to create a conservation unit, especially in Baú Forest.(AU)

Odonata (Insecta) community in the Environmental Protection Area of the Machado River hydrographic basin, southern Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Only 8% of the approximately 120 conservation units in Minas Gerais State collect information on the order Odonata, which motivated this study. We aimed to survey communities of this insect group in the Environmental Protection Area of the Machado River hydrographic basin, southern Minas Gerais State, Brazil. For this purpose, 12 areas were sampled by active searching from September 2018 to March 2019. Representatives of 71 Odonata species belonging to 8 families were collected. Seven species were found exclusively in this conservation unit, and two species were newly recorded for the state, namely Erythrodiplax chromoptera (Borror, 1942) and Micrathyria venezuelae De Marmels, 1989. This study surveyed the fifth richest odonatofauna in Minas Gerais State, underscoring the importance of the studied area for conservation of Odonata communities and necessitating actions for decreasing environmental impacts on this biological patrimony.(AU)

Odonate Communities of the Sucupira Reservoir, Rio Uberabinha, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata) are widely distributed among freshwater ecosystems of tropical and temperate environments. They are also particularly sensitive to anthropogenic changes. The objective of this study was to inventory the odonate fauna of a section of the Sucupira Reservoir on Rio Uberabinha, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to document the species composition of the odonate fauna during the dry and rainy seasons. The study also aimed to describe the distribution of the sampled species in Brazilian states. Sampling took place in August and September of 2017 (dry season) and in February and March of 2018 (rainy season), and recorded 860 individuals of 43 species belonging to 26 genera and six families. Six new records representing the families Gomphidae, Libellulidae and Coenagrionidae were recorded for the state of Minas Gerais. Seventeen species were collected only during the rainy season and eight only during the dry season, while 18 species were found in both seasons. The rainy season had greater abundance, with four times as many individuals as the dry season. This study increases the number of records for Odonata in the Minas Gerais state, and reinforces the trend for greater predominance of this group during the rainy season in this biome.

Odonate Communities of the Sucupira Reservoir, Rio Uberabinha, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata) are widely distributed among freshwater ecosystems of tropical and temperate environments. They are also particularly sensitive to anthropogenic changes. The objective of this study was to inventory the odonate fauna of a section of the Sucupira Reservoir on Rio Uberabinha, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to document the species composition of the odonate fauna during the dry and rainy seasons. The study also aimed to describe the distribution of the sampled species in Brazilian states. Sampling took place in August and September of 2017 (dry season) and in February and March of 2018 (rainy season), and recorded 860 individuals of 43 species belonging to 26 genera and six families. Six new records representing the families Gomphidae, Libellulidae and Coenagrionidae were recorded for the state of Minas Gerais. Seventeen species were collected only during the rainy season and eight only during the dry season, while 18 species were found in both seasons. The rainy season had greater abundance, with four times as many individuals as the dry season. This study increases the number of records for Odonata in the Minas Gerais state, and reinforces the trend for greater predominance of this group during the rainy season in this biome.(AU)