Odonate fauna (Insecta: Odonata) from a locality in San Marcos River in the Sierra Norte of Puebla, Mexico

Abstract

Odonates have been recognized as an important group for evaluating ecosystems since they are used as bioindicators of the conservation status of the habitat they occupy, in addition to being generalist predators feeding on invertebrates and small vertebrates. In this work, the biodiversity of adult odonates from a locality near the San Marcos River, in Puebla, Mexico, is analyzed through systematic sampling performed during 2018. Species richness and composition patterns were analyzed and compared between the rainy and dry seasons; the results were also compared with those of similar studies at the regional level. There were six families, 21 genera and 37 species that represent about 40% of the 95 species registered in Puebla. Coenagrionidae, with Argia, was the best representative of the Zygoptera, and Libellulidae was the best for the Anisoptera. Three of the species collected in the San Marcos River increased the species number from 95 to 98 for Puebla, making it currently placed 14th of 32 Mexican states in terms of the species richness of odonates nationwide. According to the Chao2 and Bootstrap estimators, the completeness of the inventory varied from 61% to 67% in the dry season, from 73% to 83% in the rainy season, and from 74% to 86% for the annual completeness. There were no significant differences in species richness and composition between the rainy and dry seasons. The species richness of odonates in this locality is the second highest known for Puebla and can still provide important data for this group.