I was lucky to dedicate the short period of spring 2024 to the study of Odonata… searching for rare and endangered species, sharing experience with young odonatologists and meeting fruitfully with European friends… A real taste of happiness.
In 2024, the Dark spreadwing (Lestes macrostigma) had a good season in its locality near Malaga airport. The conservation status of this population installed for about ten years in this habitat is confirmed.
During the month of June I participated in the monitoring program of the species included in the Natura 2000 Directive, by Tragsa, with special emphasis on locating the populations of Macromia splendens in the Guadiaro river basin. Although the species is present in a relatively large area in southern Spain, it is important to emphasize that it is localized in a few very specific points or sections. The population is small, contrary to what a distribution map might suggest.
Likewise, I monitored the emergencies of Onychogomphus cazuma in the only known population in Andalusia. We collected about 50 exuviae (approx.) demonstrating how small the population is. We also had the opportunity to photograph the species.
At last, odonates have names in Spanish. After a long work, started at the Cordoba Symposium in 2014, we published a proposal of common names. The article gathers quite a lot of information and we are proud to be one of its authors. Our wish is that it will encourage interest in damselflies and dragonflies, with such nice names as Guardroyo dragonfly, Hebridean sentinel, Cazuma’s candlestick and many others….
The ROLA organized the seventh European Congress of Odonatology (ECOO) organized by the Iberian Odonatology Group. The event was held at the Casa de la Ciencia in Seville and was well received. We believe that the European colleagues enjoyed the great Andalusian city. From G3 we organized a tour after the congress with more than 40 species sighted, including some of the rarest and most representative species of the western Mediterranean. A full account of this phenomenal excursion will soon be published in the newsletter of the new foundation: Dragonfly Conservation in Europe.
From the Bosque Animado, we welcomed two young people for a practice of initiation to the exuviae of Genal and surroundings. We would like to thank Eva and Cécile for their efforts and we wish them a good continuation in their path as dentists.
Finally… During our discovery trip of the Dolomites (Italy), we had many difficulties but in the end we managed to photograph one of the rarest species in Europe : Aeshna caeruleaa novelty for me, very well observed in its typical behavior sunning itself on rock. Wonderful.
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