Preliminary checklist of dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) of the Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Abstract

In this study, we provide a checklist of the species of Odonata (Insecta) from the state of Santa Catarina (southern Brazil), along with their location records in the municipalities across the state (whenever possible). We compiled 147 species from 60 genera and nine families, making Santa Catarina the second state with the most Odonata species recorded in southern Brazil. The families with the highest number of species were Libellulidae (54 species from 18 genera), followed by Coenagrionidae (36 species from 17 genera), Gomphidae (20 species from ten genera) and Aeshnidae (15 species from eight genera). Several regions of Santa Catarina are unexplored (mostly the westernmost and central regions of the state), whereas the knowledge in the southern coast and the subtropical highland grasslands remains restricted to sparse occurrence records. Moreover, the distribution records in the state show an enormous historical track associated with the establishment of late entomologists in the region. Our study highlights the role of Atlantic Forest biome in maintaining high levels of diversity of Odonata species richness in Brazil and also shows that many areas in subtropical forests in Brazil are not adequately sampled.