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)

Heteragrion demarmelsi sp. nov., with taxonomic notes on Colombian Heteragrion species (Odonata: Heteragrionidae).

The large genus Heteragrion has a wide distribution in the Neotropics from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, occurring from sea level to 1800 m.a.s.l. In Colombia, so far ten species and two subspecies of the genus Heteragrion have been found; here we raise this number to 14, with three new records for the country (H. angustipenne Selys, 1886, H. flavidorsum Calvert, 1909 and H. valgum Donnelly, 1992), and the description of H. demarmelsi sp. nov. from Leticia Municipality, Amazonas Department. Also, the females of H. angustipenne and H. flavidorsum are described for the first time. Heteragrion peregrinum Williamson, 1919 is rediscovered and reported in new locations. Photographs of the main structures of taxonomic importance of males and females of all species of Heteragrion from Colombia are presented. Finally, we provide distribution maps, a taxonomic key (for males and females), and comments on the natural history of all Heteragrion species known from Colombia, are also included.

The genus Heteragrion (Odonata: Zygoptera) in Northwestern Colombia, with the description of Heteragrion tatama sp. nov.

The Neotropical forest specialist genus Heteragrion counts with 54 species and one subspecies described to date, eight of which have been recorded from Colombia. Here, information on Heteragrion species resulting from ten years of exploration of northwestern Colombia and examination of museum collections, including types and species from Central America, is presented. A new species endemic to the Tatamá National Park in the western Andes, Heteragrion tatama sp. nov. is described, as well as the female of Heteragrion aequatoriale Selys, 1886. Heteragrion calendulum Williamson, 1919 was rediscovered, a century after its first collection, which allowed us to compare it with Heteragrion atrolineatum Donnelly, 1992, and to conclude that the latter species is its junior synonym. We present pictures of female prothoracic intersternite, which offer valuable taxonomic information. The variation in coloration patterns for H. aequatoriale and Heteragrion mitratum Williamson, 1919 is discussed, and maps with new distributional data, a taxonomic key, natural history notes and photographs of the Heteragrion species distributed west of the Magdalena valley in Colombia, are also provided.