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Home , Arevik, Armavir Province, Libellula pontica, Shvanidzor, Tavush Province, Yenokavan

New finds of ‘critical’ species of in -

Onychogomphus assimilis and

Libellula pontica

V. Ananian

The latest review of the Odonatofauna of through the and to Turkmenistan.

Armenia (Tailly et al., 2004) has briefly The species inhabits mountain streams, often outlined both past and recent research on the in wooded environment (Dumont et al., 1992;

of the country and has presented an Boudot, 2006; Dijkstra & Lewington, 2006).

updated checklist for the country. Two species Libellulapontica has a similar distributionpattern,

in the checklist - Onychogomphus assimilis and but is reaching farthersouth to and

Libellula pontica - were lacking recent records and eastto . It is found in river valleys and had not been observed in Armenia since with slow flowing waters of natural and artificial

their last observation half a century ago. Both origin richly fringed with reed (Dumont 1991;

species have a West Asiatic biogeographic Dijkstra & Lewington 2006; Kalkman 2006).

affinity (Akramowski, 1948, 1964; Dumont et al.

1992). Onychogomphus assimilis is distributed Published data of Onychogomphus assimilis

from the eastern Mediterraneancoast eastwards from Armenia comprise two records from

Figure 1. Map showing locations mentioned in the text with historical and recent records of Onychogomphus assimilis

and Libellula ponticafrom Armenia.

36 Table 1. Records of Onychogomphus assimilis and Libellula pontica from Armenia. For each record, the number of

the the location with the is - individuals, date, coordinates, altitude, the kind of habitat and the source given. Legend: no

is * information available, years ofcollection notspecified in the source.

Coordinates Altitude

Species Number recorded Date LocationLocation ProvinceProvince (decimal (m Habitat Source

degrees) a.s.l.)

VayotsVayots Akramowski OnychogomphusOnychogomphus assimilis 1 male.male, 2females 6-9.vii.*6-9.VÜ.* Vaik town 39.69N,45.47E 1240 Arpa River Dzor 19461948

AkramowskiAkramowski

assimilis 1 malemale 13.vi.* vill. OnychogomphusOnychogomphus Getapvill.Getap Vayots Dzor 39.76N,39.76N.45.31E45.31E 1130 - 1948

Karahunj AkramowskiAkramowski

OnychogomphusOnychogomphus assimilis -■ 10.vi.1954 Syunik 39.48N.3948N.46.36E 1230 - vill.vill. 1958

Akramowski

towntown OnychogomphusOnychogomphus assimilis -- 13.vii.1954 40.87N, 45.15E 710 - 1958

Meghri brook in OnychogomphusOnychogomphus assimilis 1 malemale 31.V.2010 Syunik 38.90N.38.90N.46.24E 630630 This study town orchards

Shvanidzor seasonal

Onychogomphus assimilis 2-3males 31.V.2010 Syunik 39.93N,46.37E 650 This study vill.vill. brook

Onychogomphus assimilis 2malesmales 3.vi.20103.VÏ.2010 town Syunik 39.21N. 46.4146.41E 770 brook This study

24-27(ind.(ind. 10 males YenokavanYenokavan Khachaghbyur Onychogomphus assimilis 6.vii.2011 Tavush 40.91N,40.91N. 45.10E 800 This study andaa putative female) vill.vill. River

Akramowski LibellulaLibellulaponticapontica 1 teneralfemale 8.vi 1962 Darakertvill.vill. Ararat 40.UN.40.11N,44.4144.41EE 844 small river 1964

Libellulapontica 1 male 3.vi.2011 vill 40.10N,40.1ON, 44.09E 856 drainage pondpond This study

1 female/immature

Libellulaponticapontica 3.vi.2011 JanfidaJanfidavill. Armavir 40.04N,40.04N.44.02E 868 drainage pondpond This study male

Figure 2. Male Onychogomphus assimilis, 31 May 2010, Shvanidzor village, , Armenia (Photo: Vasil Ananian).

Brachytron 15(1): 36-42, 2012 37 Figure 3. Male Onychogomphus assimilis, 6 July 2011, village, , Armenia (Photo: Vasil

Ananian).

Figure 4. Habitat ofOnychogomphus assimilis, 6 July 2011, Yenokavan village, Tavush province, Armenia (Photo: Vasil

Ananian)..

38 Figure 6. Habitat of Libellula pontica, 3 June 2011, Arevik village,, Armenia (Photo: Vasil Ananian).

and Tavush provinces and a report of four Shvanidzor (Figure 2). At the latter site, the specimens from one general area in Vayots Dzor males were patrolling and occasionally chasing province (Akramowski 1948, 1958). Libellula each other over a 20-25 m stretch of the brook. pontica continues to be cited as occurring in A few days later, two males exhibiting similar

Armenia in recent publications (e.g. Kalkman et behaviourwere found in the town of Kapan.

In the of found al, 2004, Kalkman 2006). In fact, this statement is province Tavush the species was based on a single record of an immature female on 6 July 2011 in good numbers at a fast flowing, collected in 1962 in wooded near (Akramowski rocky stream a gorge nearthe village

1964). The historical records for both species of Yenokavan (Figures 3 & 4). On a section of

in are shown on the map Figure 1. In 2010 and the stream, at four points some 500 m from each

2011, all historical locations (with one exception) other, point counts were done, yielding four, at for both species were revisited and additional least six, four and three individuals respectively. appropriate sites and habitats were surveyed. An additional estimated seven to ten individuals

were easily spotted through binoculars, without

Recent observations and discussion even properly counting them. They were perched

An overview of the recent records for on rocks along a stretch of approximately 1 km

Onychogomphus assimilis and Libellulapontica of the lower part of the stream. Onychogomphus in Armenia is given in Table 1. A map of the assimilis was listed as rare and sporadically visited localities is given in Figure 1. present in Armenia (Akramowski 1948). This

statement is supported by our own observations,

Onychogomphus assimilis since a considerable number of spring-summer

In Syunik province, a male was found, on 31 field trips were conducted throughoutthe country

May 2010, in an orchard in the town of . during the last 14 years and none were found

On the same day, two-three males were seen before 2010 (V. Ananian & M. Tailly own data).

at a shallow seasonal brook in the village of On a visit to Arpa River and its tributaries on

Brachytron 15(1): 36-42, 2012 39 Figure 5. Male Libellula pontica, 3 June 2011, Arevik village,Armavir province, Armenia (Photo: Vasil Ananian).

21 July 2011, a total of c.4.5 km of appropriate trips in search of this species were organized river sections was surveyed at elevations of in the provinces of Armavir and NW Ararat. All

1035-1630 m a.s.l., with only Onychogomphus together some 50 km along streams, brooks and forcipatus to be found at all sites. Likewise, on ditches in the Arax River valley, with frequent visits to the town of Meghri and the village of stops and point observations at appropriate

Shvanidzor on 7-11 July 2010, only O. forcipatus sites, yielded only the two individuals of L. and O. flexuosus were found at the sites where pontica, while the species was not found at the

O. assimilis was recorded in late May and early historical site (Akramowski 1964). It is possible

June of the same year. The limited available that the 2011 surveys were outside the species’ data at suggest that the species’ flight period in the proper flight period this latitude. However, arid central part of Armenia may be over by the in the southern part of , L. pontica was end of July. Probably even earlier in the lowlands recorded from early May to the of southern Armenia, where climatic conditions last decade of July (Kalkman & van Pelt 2006). in summer are significantly more hot and arid. During a visit to in late May and early June

The species was recorded in Turkey from the 2010, the species was still on the wing (Johan van beginning of May through to the end of July, with ‘t Bosch in litt. 2011). Nevertheless, the paucity most records coming from the last decade of of records indicates that L. pontica is probably

May and from June (Kalkman & van Pelt 2006). rare and sparsely distributed in Armenia.

Libellula pontica Protection and further study

The species was only found in the province of Onychogomphus assimilis is listed as Vulnerable

Armavir on 3 June 2011 at two locations, c. 9km in the I DON List of Threatened Species (Boudot from each other. At each site, one individual 2006) and is also assessed as rare and was encountered hanging around the edges of Vulnerable in the Red Book of Armenia (Ananian irrigation water bodies - interconnected ponds 2010a). The most important threats to the and canalsfringed with emergent vegetationsuch species in Armenia are believed to be changes as reed (Phragmites sp.) and bulrush (Typha sp.) in hydrological regimens of streams and rivers

(Figure 5, Figure 6). On 3 and 11 June 2011 two and their pollution. Construction and exploitation

40 of small dams on mountain rivers and water- River valley specifically for the conservation of L. harnessing for irrigation in valleys and arid pontica and Platycnemis dealbata. His proposal regions are common practices in Armenia. This however, was not realized. is also the case at the described study sites for A re-evaluation of the conservation status of the species. O. assimilis, L. pontica and other rare Odonata

in Armenia is needed and the development

The global status of Libellula pontica is of conservation measures for their protection evaluated as Near Threatened (Kalkman 2006), is a priority. The study and protection of these while in the Armenian Red Book it is classified species in Armenia should include surveys in as rare and Endangered (Ananian 2010b). The their historical and potentially suitable habitats

Arax River valley, where the species occurs, is with an emphasis on the Specially Protected the densest populated region in Armenia. It has Areas. This research would hopefully reveal largely been transformed into agricultural land, new populations of O. assimilis and L. pontica with a dense network of irrigation and drainage in Armenia.

and flooded all which ditches, channels areas, of are exposed to pollution and heavy exploitation. Acknowledgements

One of the 2011 specimens was found near an The 2010 data were collected during bird and

active sand pit, which are common in this region. butterfly surveys fundedby the UNDP/GEF grant.

The 2011 trips were funded by the American

None of the protected areas in Armenia cover University of Armenia. Geert De Knijf and Marc the localities where one of both species was Tailly helped in obtaining some references. found in the past or recently, except for the Marc Tailly has also reviewed an early draft

Ijevan State Sanctuary in the province ofTavush. of this manuscript, participated in a number of

The large population of O. assimilis found here the 1998-2010 field trips and provided useful

in 2011 makes the sanctuary probably the comments throughout. Johan van ‘t Bosch has

most important site for the species in Armenia. pointed to his unpublished observations from

However, the safeguard of the natural water Syria. My colleagues from the Acopian Center

regimen on the stream in the sanctuary has to be for the Environment have helped and assisted

verified. In his proposal for the conservation of during fieldwork. the Odonatofauna in the Caucasus, Akramowski

(1975) writes about the protected status of

O. assimilis, L. pontica and some other West Vasil Ananian

Center Asiatic group of species in Lagodekhi Acopian for the Environment,

() and adjacent Zagatala State Reserves 40 Baghramian Ave,

(), For Armenia, the author did not Yerevan, OOI 9,

suggest any locality for the protection of O. Armenia.

assimilis, but he proposes the protection of a [email protected]

small area on the River in the Arax

Brachytron 15(1): 36-42, 2012 41 References

Akramowski, N.N., 1948 The dragonfly fauna Akramowski, N.N., 1975. Some dragonfly species of Soviet Armenia. Zoological Digest of the of special interest in the Caucasus and Academy of Sciences of the Armenian 5: 117- Transcaucasus and proposals for their

188. [In Russian] protection. Proceedings of the 2nd Conference

Akramowski, N.N., 1958 Larva of the dragonfly On Protection. Ministry ofAgriculture and

flexuosus of Sciences ofthe Armenian Onychogomphus (Schneider (Ins. Academy SSR, pp.

Odonata of Gomphidae). Proceedings the 14-17 [In Russian] Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR 11

(5); 87-90. [In Russian]

Akramowski, N.N., 1964. Additions to the dragonfly

fauna of eastern Transcaucasus (Insecta, Odonata). Proceedings of the Academy of

Sciences ofthe Armenian SSR 17 (10): 99-101. [In Russian]

Summary

Ananian, V., 2012. New finds of ‘critical’ species of Odonata in Armenia - Onychogomphus

assimilis and Libellulapontica. Brachytron 15(1): 36-42.

assimilis and Libellula the and least known Onychogomphus pontica are among rarest dragonflies in Armenia.

Information on the distribution ofthe two species in Armenia was limited tofew isolated locations reported half

The finds of these from several locations and discusses a century ago. present paper presents new species new

their conservation issues in the country

Keywords: Odonata, Armenia, Onychogomphus assimilis, Libellula pontica, Armenia, distribution,

conservation

Samenvatting

Nieuwe waarnemingen van Donkere tanglibel (Onychogomphus assimilis) en Rode Korenbout (Libellula

pontica)I in Armenië

De Donkere tanglibel (Onychogomphus assimilis) en de Rode korenbout (Libellula pontica) behoren tot de

zeldzaamste en minst gekende Libellen van Armenië. Kennis over de verspreiding van beide soorten in dit land

die ondertussen al was beperkttot eenpaar vindplaatsen dateren vaneenhalve eeuwgeleden.In dit artikel geven

we een overzicht van de verschillende nieuwe vindplaatsen van beide soorten enbespreken we de problemen in

verband met hun bescherming in Armenië.

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