Veredas (palm swamps) play a critical role in maintaining the hydrological system and they are considered the cradle of the waters of the Brazilian Cerrado. Currently, veredas are suffering intense human pressure due to the conversion of native landscapes for other land uses as agriculture, pasture and urban environments. Few studies have evaluated the biodiversity of veredas and the current effects of human impact, especially on aquatic communities. Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) have excelled as bioindicators of environmental quality and they are increasingly used in environmental monitoring programs. In this study, we evaluate whether loss of riparian vegetation around the vereda areas alters the communities of Odonata and whether the species can be considered bioindicators of these environmental conditions. Our hypothesis is that eco-physiological and behavioral characteristics, such as thermoregulation capacity and oviposition behavior, influence the persistence of species in communities in natural or altered environments. We sampled 25 veredas and classified them into two groups, namely "preserved riparian vegetation" (VRP), when the riparian vegetation surrounding the sampled stretch was 30 meters or more, and "altered riparian vegetation" (VRA), when the vegetation extended for less than 30 meters from at least one of the banks. Our results showed that the composition of the communities in areas classified as VRP was more similar to each other and different from the communities found in the areas classified as VRA. Of the 52 species observed, 11 species responded as indicators for preserved or altered riparian vegetation. Of these species, four were indicative of areas with preserved riparian vegetation and seven were indicative of veredas with altered riparian vegetation. Our results show that the composition of dragonflies and damselflies, and some taxa in particular may be potential indicators of the condition of veredas, and may, therefore, be included in vereda monitoring programs in Central-Western Brazil.
Abstract. Commonly called "helicopter damselflies", Mecistogaster species (Coenagrionidae) are recognized by their large body size in comparison with other Odonata species, ability to flap both anterior and posterior wings in opposite directions, and preference for dense forest. These species feed on spiders and require trunks or plants that can accumulate water, like bromeliads, for laying eggs. This relationship with phytotelm environments makes the Mecistogaster species sensitives to forest fragmentation and habitat changes. In Brazil, there are records of seven species, mainly in Amazon forest regions. Mecistogaster linearis (Fabricius) has a wide distribution reported in the Brazilian states of Acre, Amazonas, Roraima, Pará, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. Herein, we report the first record of M. linearis in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul with specimens sampled from the municipality of Corumbá, in the Pantanal. (srivastava et al. 2004; Fincke 2008), while such food preferences may result from the species' ability to flap the forewings in one direction and the latter in another, which allows these damselflies to make reverse maneuvers (Garrison et al. 2010). Mecistogaster species have exclusive morphological characteristics (Garrison et al. 2010), such as a cell line between the CuA (Cubital anterior) and the edge of the wing; also, in males, the paraproct is vestigial. The wings are hyaline, long, and narrow; the pseudostigma can vary in shape and color. Commonly, Mecistogaster are sexually dimorphic in their abdomen size and pseudostigma shape. Male sieges are long, linear, and curved medially, and are ventrally angulated in some species; in females, the ovipositor does not exceed the end of sieges (Garrison et al. 2010 Keywords
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