Checklist of Odonata (Insecta) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil with seven new records

Abstract

Abstract: The regional knowledge of species diversity and distribution is important to support conservation strategies for species and their habitats. The main goal of this work is to present a checklist of Odonata species in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as their known locations in the municipalities. The preparation of the list was based in data gathered from collections of Museu de Ciências da Universidade do Vale do Taquari (UNIVATES), Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução da Universidade do Vale do Taquari (UNIVATES), Museu de Ciências Naturais da Fundação Zoootânica, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS) plus data extracted from 65 publications and the sites SpeciesLink, All Odonata and Puget Sound University. A total of 182 Odonata species were recorded, spanning nine families and 57 genera. The most representative family was Libellulidae (80 species) followed by Coenagrionidae (41 species) and seven species are new records for Rio Grande do Sul. The list of species presented here is a significant advance compared to previous counts for Rio Grande do Sul, however, our list is by no means a final one. Some regions of the state remain poorly explored, such as the border to Uruguay also in the northernmost part of the state. Several families remain poorly sampled, especially those that inhabit small forested streams and probably there are many specimens which are not cataloged and identified yet in scientific collections, both in the state and in the country.