1st European Congress on Odonatology Programme and abstracts

The Atlas of Dragonflies and Damselflies of Catalonia
Luque, P. 1 ;Soler, E. 1 ; Locwood, M. 1
1 Oxygastra-GEOC (Grup d’Estudi dels Odonats de Catalunya)- ICHN (Institució Catalana d’Història Natural),
Carrer del Carme, 47; 08001 Barcelona, Spain, [contacte@oxygastra.org]
Formed in 2003, OXYGASTRA - the Catalan Odonatological Society - is currently working on the first
atlas of the odonats of Catalonia and it is expected that fieldwork in 2010 will complete the coverage
of the 395 10 x 10 km quadrats that constitute the study area. Modern and historical records have
been combined in an on-line database (over 30,000 records) that contains the raw information for the
distribution maps, species accounts and statistical analyses to be included in the publication scheduled
for 2011.
Fieldwork is based initially on cartographical research into possible reproduction sites and then on site
visits by volunteers or by a paid worker, each quadrat in Mediterranean areas being visited three
times a year (spring, summer and autumn), in montane areas twice a year and in high mountain
areas just once a year. To date three new species (Macromia splendens, Gomphus graslini and
Cordulia aenea) have been detected during the field work and in all 66 of the 69 known Odonata from
Catalonia have been recorded during the atles period. Funding for the fieldwork has been received
from the Catalan Institution of Natural History and for specific species and sites from the Department
of the Environment and Housing of the Catalan Autonomous Government.
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