IUCN SSC Specialist Group

2019 Report

Viola Clausnitzer Geert de Knijf

Co-Chairs Mission statement Targets for the 2017-2020 quadrennium

Viola Clausnitzer (1) The mission of the IUCN SSC Dragonfly Assess (2) Geert de Knijf Specialist Group (DSG) is to increase the knowl- Red List: (1) complete the global dragonfly edge on , ecology and biogeography assessment (6,300 species); (2) add assess- Red List Authority Coordinator of all (damselflies and ). ments focusing on African and South American Viola Clausnitzer (1) Based on this information, we are currently dragonflies to National Red Lists; (3) contribute working on the final steps towards assessing all to the Barometer of Life by completing the Location/Affiliation species globally against the criteria of The IUCN assessments of ca. 500 dragonflies in South- (1) Senckenberg Research Institute, Red List of Threatened Species, while outdated east Asia; (4) contribute to the Barometer of Life Goerlitz, Germany assessments are updated. In parallel, we help by completing the remaining assessments of (2) Inbo, Belgium conservationists and countries to protect ca. 1,000 dragonflies globally; (5) gather data in threatened species. North America through Odonata Central to feed Number of members into global Red List assessments. 54 Projected impact for the 2017-2020 Research activities: (1) gain more information quadrennium on Lestes umbrinus to assist conservation plan- Social networks By the end of 2020, we want to see all Odonata ning; (2) research and produce a scientific publi- Facebook: IUCN Dragonfly Specialist Group assessed on the IUCN Red List of Threat- cation on dragonflies in Tatamá National Park Website: ened Species. We hope to be able to help and its buffer area in the Colombian western https://worlddragonfly.org/; more countries with their National Red Lists Andes; (3) contribute to the process of delin- https://www.iucn.org/ssc-groups/inverte- and their endeavours with Biodiversity Action eating Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) for fresh- brates/dragonfly Plans. Hopefully, more conservation projects water conservation; (4) delineate KBAs for and capacity building, not only for threatened freshwater conservation in Lake Tanganyika species, can be established. Another goal is Catchment, Africa; (5) develop an Atlas of the to establish dragonflies as “guardians of the dragonflies of Bhutan/the Eastern Himalaya; (6) watershed”, enabling a better understanding of use the atlas to develop a Dragonfly Biotic Index biodiversity, a healthy environment and human for the Eastern Himalaya; (7) develop a field well-being. guide for the odonates in the Tatamá region; (8) conduct research on impacts of climate change on mountainous dragonflies in the Andes, Colombia; (9) delineate KBAs for fresh- water conservation in Lake Malawi Catchment, Africa; (10) create an open online database for Odonata; (11) contribute to producing a KBA monitoring plan; (12) contribute to KBA assess- ment for Greece. Slender Jewel, Stenocypha tenuis, common along pristine forest streams in eastern Africa Photo: Jens Kipping

Plan Planning: (1) produce a Species Conserva- tion Action Plan for Ceriagrion citrinum (Yellow Waxtail); (2) produce a Species Conserva- tion Action Plan for Notogomphus maathaiae (Maathai’s Longleg); (3) produce a Species Conservation Action Plan for Platycyhpa amboniensis. Policy: (1) develop a Dragonfly Biotic Index for Monitoring and Prioritising Restoration Sites within the Congo-Nile Crest Watershed, Rwanda; (2) develop a Dragonfly Biotic Index for Monitoring and Prioritising Restoration Sites within Europe. Act Conservation actions: (1) implement conserva- tion action for Lestes umbrinus; (2) implement conservation actions for endemic dragonflies in the Cape Region. Technical advice: publish a book on New Zealand Odonata species. Network Agreements: develop a scientific research collaboration to generate conservation informa- tion for the Sarawak Forestry Corporation. Capacity building: (1) capacity building and training of Red List assessors worldwide (several people trained in workshops on various Ethiopian Highlander, Atoconeura aethiopica, an endemic dragonfly of Ethiopia’s clear montane forest streams continents); (2) continued focus on capacity Photo: Viola Clausnitzer building and training in Africa and South America for Red Listing and on-the-ground conservation work; (3) increase the number of Red List trainers in the DSG. Proposal development and funding: increase funding for scientific and research projects for dragonflies globally. Scientific meetings: plan a meeting of the European DSG members at the European Congress on Odonatology, https://ecoo2016. wordpress.com/. Hairy-legged Highlander, Atoconeura pseudeudoxia, shady forest streams in eastern Africa Photo: Jens Kipping

Synergy: expand the network of odonatologists v. A Field guide for the odonates in the Tatamá Act and freshwater conservationists in Africa as region was published: see https://www. Conservation actions members of the DSG. researchgate.net/publication/334119212_ i. Conservation actions for Lestes umbrinus LIBELULAS_DE_LA_CORDILLERA_OCCIDENTAL_ were prepared together with the villagers of Activities and results 2019 COLOMBIANA_una_mirada_desde_el_Tatama_ the village Phagora in Batagram, with actions DRAGONFLIES_OF_THE_COLOMBIAN_CORDIL- Assess ongoing. Several workshops and meetings took LERA_OCCIDENTAL_a_look_from_Tatama. place in Phagora. (KSR #33, 34, 35, 43) Red List (KSR #28, 43) ii. Conservation actions for endemic dragonflies i. Over 5,000 dragonfly assessments are in the vi. Publications and references are available on in the Cape region are ongoing (https://jrsbiodi- IUCN SIS database. (KSR #1) the SOL (Sociedad Odonatológica Latinoamer- versity.org/grants/odonatafrc2019/). All South ii. At the moment, our focus for Red List icana) website: https://www.odonatasol.org/ African Odonata are on the National Red List assessments is to complete the global assess- boletin-cientifico-de-la-sol/. (KSR #38) (new assessments and updates finished in 2019, ment. This is ongoing for some countries (Brazil, vii. One map of Lake Malawi was produced: including conservation recommendations). (KSR Rwanda, Kenya). (KSR #1, 2) see https://www.iucn.org/theme/species/ #22) iii. Over 500 assessments in Southeast Asia are our-work/freshwater-biodiversity/what-we-do/ Technical advice completed. (KSR #1, 2, 4) lake-malawi-catchment. (KSR #22) i. Publication of book on New Zealand Odonota iv. We contributed to the Barometer of Life with viii. An open online database for Odonata is species is still ongoing (http://www.perfectly- over 500 assessments completed. (KSR #1, 2, 4) completed for some regions, e.g. Africa (see worded.co.nz/dragons/dragons.html). (KSR #28) v. All North American Odonata species are on http://addo.adu.org.za/). (KSR #1, 2, 12, 32, 43) Network the global Red List. (KSR #1, 12, 26) ix. Odonata are included in the KBA assess- Capacity building Research activities ment in Greece. (KSR #22) i. Capacity building and training of facilitators i. Fifty-three sites were visited, but Lestes Plan in Africa for Red Listing and on-the-ground umbrinus was only found at one place. Planning conservation work: two at Ethiopian Biodiversity (KSR #12) i. Ojonugwa Ekpah from Nigeria got funding Institute and two at Rwanda University. (KSR #5) ii. A research project on determination of from the International Dragonfly Fund (IDF) to ii. Training and Red Listing in South America is new Odonata species in a Colombian Trop- work on a Conservation Plan for Ceriagrion ongoing (http://www.odonatasol.org/). (KSR #5) ical rainforest is ongoing (see https:// citrinum. (KSR #12, 15, 20) iii. Capacity building and training in Africa is www.researchgate.net/project/Determina- ii. A Conservation Action Plan for Platycyhpa ongoing: Jens Kipping joined Erasme Uyizeye tion-of-new-Odonata-species-in-a-Colombi- amboniensis was done by Laban Njoroge, in Rwanda, KD Dijkstra and Viola Clausnitzer an-Tropical-rainforest-an-integrative-approach). National Museums of Kenya, with new sites trained a team in Ethiopia. Ten people in Ethi- (KSR #11, 12) found. (KSR #12, 15, 20, 34, 39) opia were trained (members of the Ethiopian iii. Odonata were included in all African Policy Biodiversity Institute, scientists and rangers), KBA assessments and in the European KBA i. Publications of the Dragonfly Biotic Index three people in Guinea were trained, and three approach. (KSR #22) for Monitoring and Prioritising Restoration people in Rwanda were trained. (KSR #5) iv. The Atlas of the dragonflies of Bhutan/the Sites within the Congo-Nile Crest Watershed, iv. New people were largely trained in South Eastern Himalaya is currently in preparation. Rwanda, are being prepared by Erasme Uyizeye. America. (KSR #1, 2, 4) (KSR #1, 3, 7, 14, 15) (KSR #31, 34) Proposal development and funding i. Several proposals were written for research projects for dragonflies globally; some were Papyrus Wisp, Agriocnemis palaeforma, a habitat specialist; only found in papyrus swamps with clean and running water in Rwanda and Uganda Photo: Jens Kipping granted (National Geographic Society – Rwanda, Acknowledgements Summary of activities 2019 International Dragonfly Fund – Nigeria) and We thank the National Geographic Society, Components of Species Conservation Cycle: 4/5 many are still pending. Around 10 proposals Rufford Small Grants, Chicago Zoological Assess 14 |||||||||||||| were written (including to National Geographic Society (CBOT grants), Eppley Foundation, Plan 3 ||| Society, Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conserva- Dian Fossey Fund International, and NABU for Act 3 ||| tion Fund, International Dragonfly Fund, Rufford supporting conservation and assessment work Small Grants, SSC). on dragonflies worldwide. Our gratitude also Network 7 ||||||| Scientific meetings to Marcelo Tognelli for his constant advice on Main KSRs addressed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, i. We are planning a meeting of the European mapping and Red Listing issues to the SOL 14, 15, 20, 22, 26, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38, 39, 43 DSG members at the European Congress on (Sociedad Odonatológica Latinoamericana) and Resolutions addressed: WCC-2016-Res-016, Odonatology, scheduled for 29 June to 2 July to IUCN’s Freshwater and Red List Units for WCC-2016-Res-041 2020; it is still open, if it can be facilitated. their tireless help in Red List assessments. KSR: Key Species Result (KSR #28, 31, 32) Synergy i. The next term will see many new members and a new Co-Chair in the DSG.