Rare and endangered Odonata of Lebanon – an update with a discussion on the vanishing Levant endemic dragonfly fauna

Abstract

The Levant is a hot spot of biodiversity, even for Odonata. Approximately 90 Odonata species were recorded for the Levant and 48 from Lebanon. Lebanon, as a central part of the Levant, was visited in 2022 and 2023 for searching dragonflies. Thirty four species including five of six Levant endemic Odonata: Calopteryx hyalina Martin, 1909, Calopteryx syriaca Rambur, 1842, Coenagrion syriacum (Morton, 1924), Pseudagrion syriacum Selys, 1887, Gomphus davidi Selys, 1887 as well as populations of the recently described Cordulegaster cilicia Schneider et al., 2021 were found. Ceriagrion georgifreyi Schmidt, 1953 was recognized as new for Lebanon and increases the number of Odonata to 49. The dramatic decline of the Levant endemic Odonata caused by habitat loss and destruction is discussed.