1st European Congress on Odonatology Programme and abstracts

Notes to conservation of dragonflies in Northern Slovakia
Dušan Šácha 1
1 Katedra ekosozológie a fyziotaktiky, Prírodovedecká fakulta UK, Mlynská dolina, B2, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
Northern Slovakia, which lies on the border with Poland, includes historical regions of Orava, Turiec,
Liptov and Spiš. Its landscape is very diverse, ranging from about 400 to 2600 m a.s.l. and
encompassing habitats of still and flowing waters with acidic to alkaline conditions. Wetland habitats
are locally well preserved, with 3 sites included in the Ramsar-List: Mokrade Turca, Rieka Orava a jej
prítoky and Mokrade Oravskej kotliny. The fourth Ramsar site (Jaskyne Demänovskej doliny) is a
spelean ecosystem. Five national parks have been declared on this territory: Tatranský národný park,
Národný park Nízke Tatry, Pieninský národný park, Národný park Veľká Fatra and Národný park Malá
Fatra, plus one nature park (Chránená krajinná oblasť Horná Orava). Several NATURA 2000 sites are
proposed in the area. Despite these facts, this territory has long remained “a white spot” on the
dragonfly-map of Slovakia.
In order to evaluate the conservation status of dragonflies in Northern Slovakia, a research was
carried out in 2000-2009 and its results were combined with the previously published data. 62 species
of dragonflies have ever been reported in this region. The individuals referred to in the past as
Cordulegaster boltoni appear to belong to C. bidentata (due to the misidentification by the authors).
The presence of Coenagrion pulchellum and Gomphus vulgatissimus is doubtful, since the evidence of
these species consists exclusively of larvae (no imagoes were observed). All other species were
identified correctly.
Several species of Community interest appeared in the area: Sympecma paedisca, Coenagrion
ornatum, Ophiogomphus cecilia, Leucorrhinia pectoralis and L. caudalis. Also many species of national
importance, included in the national Red-List are present, among them: Coenagrion hastulatum, C.
armatum, Aeshna subarctica, A. isosceles, A. coerulea, Brachytron pratense, Somatochlora alpestris,
S. arctica, Orthetrum coerulescens, Sympetrum pedemontanum, Leucorrhinia dubia, L. rubicunda.
Nehallenia speciosa and Coenagrion lunulatum were reported in 1920´ and 1950´, respectively, at
present they are considered extinct in Slovakia. Whether S. paedisca, C. armatum and Anax
parthenope have autochthonous populations in the area remains unresolved.
Several thermophilous species build their populations in northern Slovakia: Erythromma viridulum,
Aeshna isosceles, Brachytron pratense, Sympetrum fonscolombei, S. meridionale, Crocothemis
erythraea, Orthetrum albistylum and O. brunneum among them. This possibly indicates climate
change in the region.
As for the regional aspect, Turčianska kotlina, Oravská kotlina, Vysoké Tatry and Spišská Magura
seem most valuable, because most endangered species concentrate there. Turiec has autochthonous
populations of C. ornatum, O. cecilia and several species of national interest. Orava, Tatry and Spiš
host assemblages of tyrphophilous species, such as L. pectoralis, L. dubia, L. rubicunda, A. subarctica,
S. alpestris, S. arctica and C. hastulatum. Wetlands in Liptov are most influenced by human impact.
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