Ilyina E.V.1, Kosterin O.E.2, Onishko V.V.3 2024. First data on dragonflies (Odonata) of Dagestan highlands, Russia // Euroasian Entomological Journal. Vol.23. No.1: 1–17 [in English].
1 Precaspian Institute of Biological Resources of the Daghestan Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, State Reserve “Dagestansky”, M. Gadzhiev Str. 45, Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala 367000 Russia. E-mail: carabus@list.ru ORCID: 0000-0002-5426-4015.
2 Institute of Cytology & Genetics SB RAS, Academician Lavrentyev Ave. 10, Novosibirsk 630090 Russia; Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova Str. 2, Novosibirsk 630090 Russia. E-mail: kosterin@bionet.nsc.ru ORCID: 0000-0001-5955-4057.
3 GAU Moscow Zoo, Department of Herpetology, Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Str. 1, Moscow 123242 Russia. E-mail: vervolf999@yandex.ru ORCID: 0000-0002-6469-6778.
doi 10.15298/euroasentj.23.01.01
ABSTRACT. Published data on Odonata of Dagestan in highland habitats, that is situated above the tree line, were confined to registration in 1924–1926 of Aeshna juncea (Linnaeus, 1758) at Kurush village (the southernmost settlement of Russia). During the focused studies on the dragonflies of Dagestan in 2021–2023, we accumulated data on those of seven highland habitats situated in six districts at elevations of 2000–2800 m a.s.l., five of which are lakes or lake groups. Thirteen species from five families were revealed, including Cordulia aenea (Linnaeus, 1758) recorded in Dagestan for the first time, its habitat at 2525 m a.s.l. at Lake Bezdonnoe appearing the most elevated of those known for this species in the world. Elevation limits of other dragonflies of Dagestan are discussed. The huge population of A. juncea crenatoides Bartenef, 1925 of Lake Debrishara (2816 m a.s.l.) is unique in many respects: (1) the emerged dragonflies commence a downward vertical migration to the valley situated ca 400 m below; (2) about one quarter of specimens have an unusual pattern of the synthorax sides, with the additional pale stripe merging with the fore main stripe (the same morph was revealed in all specimens in populations in Armenia and South-eastern Turkey); (3) females thrice exceed males in number. Possible causes of these peculiarities are discussed.
KEY WORDS: Odonata, dragonflies, damselflies, Aeshna juncea, Russia, Caucasus, Dagestan, highlands, lakes, vertical migrations.