Odonata (Insecta) species richness in the Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca, Southeast Brazil

Abstract

There are few studies on Odonata communities in Brazil, even in its most deeply studied states, such as Minas Gerais. Therefore, it is proposed the presentation of results on the Odonata species richness of Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca (Ibitipoca State Park), located at the Zona da Mata region in the Minas Gerais state, Brazil. This Conservation Unit is considered a priority area for the conservation of the state’s invertebrates. The objective of this study was to know the number of species within the area. 100 hours of sampling were carried out, distributed amongst five campaigns of four consecutive days between  November 2016 and July 2017. There were recorded 20 different species, including a new record for the state and one potential new species. Species richness was low due to the sampling being focused exclusively on lotic systems, and also to the environment’s homogeneity. Despite the low number of species, Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca is relevant to the conservation of the Minas Gerais state’s Odonata.