On July 2006, project activities were started. Ms Olena Dyatlova (Odessa, Ukraine) and Mr Wincent Kalkman (Leiden, Netherlands) implement project with financial support of BBI-Matra Fund (BBI-MATRA/2006/002) of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Project is aimed to substantiate selection of key dragonfly habitats in the south-west part of Ukraine.
This information is important for creation of new protected areas and management of the existing. Within this project database on known collected facts of dragonfly findings in this region was created. Additional field studies are held. Maps of dragonfly species spreading and list of “key areas” are available on-line (http://tinyurl.com/2brh5n). 48 species of dragonfly among 74 of the Ukrainian fauna were found in the south-west part of Ukraine.
On the ground of database and using four criteria, key odonatological areas were defined in the researched territory. Territories, which determine two or more criteria, were included to the list of key areas.
1. Occurrence of the international protected species on this territory (IUCN Red List, Council Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora, etc.):
- Coenagrion ornatum (Habitat Directive)
- Gomphus flavipes (Habitat Directive)
- Sympecma paedisca (Habitat Directive)
- Lestes mactostigma (decrease of number in Europe, Sahlen et al., 2004)
2. Occurrence of species protected on the national level on this territory (the Red Book of Ukraine, 1994; regional red lists, etc.):
- Anax imperator (III category of protection)
- Erythromma lindenii (I category of protection)
3. Occurrence of species that are not protected on international or national levels, but are priority for conservation after detailed studies of their spreading and reasons of rarity: Aeshna cyanea, Calopteryx splendens ancilla, Coenagrion scitulum, Cordulia aenea, Gomphus vulgatissimus, Selysiothemis nigra, Sympetrum danae, Sympetrum depressiusculum and Sympetrum pedemontanum.
4. Occurrence of high species diversity and number of dragonflies: 21 and more species on the area of 10 square kilometres.
Key odonatological areas:
1. The Lower Danube and the Danube lakes.
2. The Dnister – Turunchuck interfluve, northern bank of Dnister estuary.
3. Small fresh water bodies of the Lower part of Khadzhybey estuary.
4. The Kinburn Spit.
5. The Lower South Boug and the Lower Ingul.
6. The Dnipro Delta.
Information on dragonflies spreading in the south-western Ukraine still requires its specification and new field studies. Rising of interest in studying of dragonflies in Ukraine and appearance of informal odonatologic community is also project objective. Now more than 10 volunteers continue the work on determining of key dragonfly habitats in the south-western Ukraine.
More detailed information you can find on the web-site “Dragonflies of Ukraine”: