Odonatofauna in a Brazilian Cerrado area, featuring the rediscovery of two species

Abstract

The Cerrado harbors rich biodiversity and yet faces various anthropogenic pressures, an alarming situation that justifies fauna inventory studies, particularly insects, often overlooked in such endeavors. Additionally, many locations within the Cerrado lack information about the odonatofauna, including Conservation Units (CUs), considered the main tools for biodiversity conservation in Brazil. The objective of our study is to report the Odonata community occurring in the Minas Gerais portion of the Parque Nacional Grande Sertão Veredas (PNGSV), the conservation status of species, taxonomic information for some taxa, and compare the Odonata community along wet and dry seasons. The study was conducted from September 2022 to April 2023, with a total of 576 hours of sampling. We collected 601 specimens from 83 species, highlighting two new species (one recently described and other to be described elsewhere), eight new records for the state, and the rediscovery of the species Progomphus geijskesi Needham, 1944, collected for the first time in Brazil since 1918, and Argia botacudo Calvert, 1909, previously known only from the type material. The significant richness sampled, new taxa, new records, and the presence of species at some risk of extinction reinforce the Cerrado’s relevance as a global hotspot. It also underscores the importance of CUs as a tool to ensure the protection of Odonata communities in Brazil and highlights the need to strengthen public policies to guarantee investments and foster future financial resources for the protection of Brazilian biota, especially for conducting more inventory studies in the Cerrado.