A dragonfly trip report: Western Andalusia, June 2017

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Boletín Rola nº 11, primer semestre 2018
25
A dragonfly trip report: Western
Andalusia, June 2017
Antoine van der Heijden1 & Albert Vliegenthart2
1 Nederlandse Vereniging voor Libellenstudie.
Contact: odonatophiliac@gmail.com
2 Dutch Butterfly Conservation, PO Box 506, 6700 AM
Wageningen. Contact: albert.vliegenthart@vlinderstichting.nl
SUMMARY
Dragonfly (Odonata) records collected during a field
trip to Western Andalucía in June 2017 are presented.
In ten field days, 42 species of Odonata were observed,
which represents two-thirds of the Andalusian
odonatofauna.
RESUMEN
Se presenta una recopilación de citas de libélulas (Odonata)
observadas durante un viaje a Andalucía Occidental
realizado en Junio 2017. Durante estos diez días de
campo, 42 especies de Odonata han sido avistadas,
representando dos tiercos de la odonatofauna
andaluza.
INTRODUCTION
From the 2nd until the 11th of June 2017 the authors
made a field trip to Western Andalusia for recording
dragonflies (Fig. 1). This paper presents an overview of
the observation data collected on this trip.
The localities visited during the trip (Table 1) were
mostly planified in colaboration with the Andalusian
Dragonfly Recording Scheme (ROLA) in order to survey
sites and to provide data for the European dragonflies
monitoring project.

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Starting near Malaga, the first area visited was the
Guadalhorce valley and Arroyo de las Piedras. From there
we travelled west, through the Sierra de Grazalema into
Los Alcornocales where several locations were visited
from the 4th to 7th of June. This area was known from
a previous trip in July 2014 (Vliegenthart
et al.
, 2015).
During this visit, a bit earlier in the year, several species
were found that were not encountered in 2014. From
here, the rice fields of La Janda were visited and we
ended up further westward in the Coto Doñana. On
the 9th of July we have spent some time along the
coast of Tarifa for a whale watching trip on the Strait of
Gibraltar, including Finn Whale (
Balaenoptera physalis
),
Pilot Whale (
Globicephala melas
) and Bottlenose
Dolphin (
Tursiops truncatus
). The last day, the 10th of
July, we visited the Valle del Río del Genal. During the
whole trip, we stopped at accessible dragonfly habitats
whenever it was possible.
In ten field days, 42 species of Odonata were observed,
which represents two-thirds of the Andalusian
odonatofauna.
VLIEGENTHART, A.,
VAN GRUNSVEN, R.,
VAN DER HEIJDEN, A.
& TERMAAT, T. (2015).
A Dutch contribution
to the distribution of
Andalusian odonates in
2014.
Bol. Rola
, 5, 5.24.
Coenagrion caerulescens
,
oviposition (AHE).

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27
HIGHLIGHTS PER AREA
Guadalhorce valley and Arroyo de las
Piedras
We visited the Guadalhorce river between Pizarra and
El Chorro, which is rather narrow on this part and didn't
contain a lot of water. The available water that was left,
was clean and cool and flowed rather fast between
the gravel beds. These locations hosted many of the
common species found in this part of Spain:
Calopteryx
haemorrhoidalis, Platycnemis latipes, Erythromma
lindenii, Ischnura graellsii, Onychogomphus forcipatus,
Orthetrum chrysostigma, O. brunneum, O. coerulescens,
Crocothemis erythraea, Trithemis annulata
and
T. kirbyi
.
On kind directions from Paul Winter we visited Arroyo
de las Piedras, a brook that drains into the Guadalhorce
river. The bare gravel banks of the Guadalhorce at this
location yielded large numbers of
Onychogomphus
Figure 1: Locations
visited during the 2017
June field trip.

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costae
: at least twenty males and females of this small
Gomphid were found, some of them in copula. The
Guadalhorce river at this spot was also the only location
where we've encountered
Zygonyx torridus
during
the trip. Following the Arroyo upstream,
Orthetrum
nitidinerve
and
Coenagrion caerulescens
were added to
the list, as well as even more
Onychogomphus costae
males, perched on a couple of large boulders.
Sierra de Grazalema
We didn’t spend much time in this splendid area, as we
were looking out for butterflies and other insects. On
several locations we observed beautifull terrestrial insects
of the order Neuroptera, namely
Libelloides baeticus
,
L. ictericus
and
Nemoptera bipennis
hunting above the
flowers on dry slopes. Among the many butterfly species
observed,
Melitaea aetherie
is especially noteworthy for
its rarity.
Los Alcornocales, Guadiaro and Genal rivers
The superb rivers in this area, habitats of many rare riverine
dragonflies, made us decide to re-visit Western Andalusia.
On both rivers
Platycnemis acutipennis
was found along
with
P. latipes
. While searching for
Macromia splendens
didn't yield any results on the Río Genal near Gaucín.
However, this brilliant species was found patrolling on the
Hozgarganta River near Jimena de la Frontera. At least
two different males were seen flying by a couple of times,
but unfortunately, they weren't found perching and they
didn't cooperate for being photographed. Territorial males
of
Oxygastra curtisii
were found on all three rivers. Close
to Jimena de la Frontera, no less than six Gomphidae were
detected: one male of
Paragomphus genei
was found
accompanied by two males of
Onychogomphus costae
.
Other species present were:
Onychogomphus forcipatus,
Gomphus graslinii, G. similimus
and
G. pulchellus
. Exuviae
of
Boyeria irene
were abundant, but imagos were only
found on two occasions. On a small brook in the Cork Oak
forest a rather fresh female
Sympecma fusca
was found.

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2A 2B
2C 2D
2E 2F
Figura 2. Hábitats acuáticos en la sierra de Baza. Fig. 2A. Arroyo de Las Piedras. Fig 2B. Same locality, hábitat of
Coenagrion caerulescens
and
Onychogomphus costae
. Fig. 2C,D. Río Hozgarganta en Jimena de La Frontera.
Fig. 2E. A lagoon in Doñana. Fig. 2F. Puerto Real. Pictures by the authors.

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La Janda
We passed the Barbate river near Benalup on the
way to Coto Doñana. Several stops were made in a
fruitless attempt to find
Borbo borbonica
, a Hesperid
butterfly known from this area. Although this species
is multivoltine, it is better to look for it in September or
October.
For dragonflies the canals and rice fields of this area aren't
the most interesting habitat, however we could add a
new species to the growing list anyway:
Brachythemis
impartita
. Around fifteen of these magnificent dragonflies
were found perching in the vegetation. Other species in
this area included
Ischnura graellsii, Anax parthenope,
Sympetrum fonscolombii
and
Crocothemis erythraea.
Coto Doñana
Coto Doñana's freshwater habitat are largely closed
for the public! Fortunately, we could visit some great
dragonfly habitats during the morning and early
afternoon by way of special permit. Both at the pond
outside the main office and at several other locations,
Lestes macrostigma
was found. This elusive species was
highly anticipated, and it didn't disappoint. Another
member of the same family,
Lestes virens
was abundant
at a couple of ponds. This species is common in the
eastern provinces of The Netherlands but the Spanish
subspecies
L. virens virens
looks remarkably different
from the subspecies
L. virens vestalis
we see in The
Netherlands.
A couple of ponds in the western part of the National
Park added a number of interesting species to this trip's
list.
Diplacodes lefebvrii
was present, as was
Orthetrum
trinacria, Sympecma fusca, Sympetrum meridionale,
S. striolatum
and a fresh female of
Anax ephippiger
.
In the afternoon surroundings of the Acebrón palace was
visited. Overlooking El Charco del Acebrón,
Orthetrum
cancellatum, Anax imperator, Trithemis annulata, Lestes
macrostigma
and
Erythromma viridulum
were seen. Two
more
Lestes macrostigma
were found on Arroyo de la
Cañada Martín, north of El Rocío, in the evening.

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Puerto Real salt marshes
Passing by the Bay of Cadíz, a stop was made at the
salt marshes of Puerto Real. While this was primarily
meant as a birdwatching break, a canal along the road
offered a couple of nice dragonfly species as well: some
Lestes macrostigma
and
Orthetrum trinacria
were
present here, as well as
Anax parthenope, Sympetrum
fonscolombii, Ischnura graellsii, Orthetrum cancellatum
and
Crocothemis erythraea
.
Valle del Río del Genal
In this valley we have focussed on the Arroyo Hondo. This
rocky brook is easily accessible from the Camping site,
west of Jubrique. Following the Arroyo downstream,
both
Onychogomphus forcipatus
and
O. uncatus
were
seen, occasionally at the same time. Other species here
included
Trithemis kirbyi, Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis
and
Oxygastra curtisii
. Upstream, an artificial dam has
Paragomphus genei
(AHE).

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CHELMICK, D.G.
(2015)Observations of
Macromia splendens in
the Guadiaro river basin,
Andalusia, Spain,
Bol.
ROLA
, 6, 5-36.
been created to turn the Arroyo into a swimming pond
(such as those described by Chelmick, 2015 ). Here the
Arroyo looked very well suited for
Macromia splendens
.
A long wait in the evening, when the camping guests
had abandoned the pond, proved to be fruitful when
a single male
M. splendens
did indeed patrol the edge
of the pond a couple of times before disappearing into
the forest.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
While planning this great trip we were generously
provided with a long list of good locations to visit. We
want to thank (in no particular order) Florent Prunier,
Paul Winter, Javier Ripoll Rodríguez and Leónidas de los
Reyes for sharing your valuable data and knowledge.
A dragonfly trip report: Western Andalusia, June 2017
Antoine van der Heijden & Albert Vliegenthart.
Key words: Odonata, Iberian Peninsula, distribution.
Un 'trip report' odonatológico: Andalucía occidental, Junio de 2017
Palabras Clave: Odonata, Península Ibérica, distribución.

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ANEXO: CITAS
Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis
(Vander Linden, 1825)
[2] 3/6/17: 20Ad; [3] 3/6/17: 2Ad; [6] 4/6/17: 2Ad; [9] 5/6/17: 18Ad; [10] 5/6/17: 7Ad;
[26] 10/6/17: 18Ad.
Lestes macrostigma
(Eversmann, 1836)
[18] 8/6/17: 16Ad; [19] 8/6/17: 10Ad; [20] 8/6/17: 1Ad; [21] 8/6/17: 2Ad; [23] 9/6/17:
3Ad.
Lestes virens virens
(Charpentier, 1825)
[18] 8/6/17: 50Ad; [19] 8/6/17: 90Ad.
Chalcolestes viridis
(Vander Linden, 1825)
[8] 5/6/17: 4Ten.
Sympecma fusca
(Vander Linden, 1820)
[19] 8/6/17: 1Ad.
Platycnemis acutipennis
Selys, 1841
[7] 4/6/17: 6Ad; [8] 6/6/17: 1f4Ad; [9] 5/6/17: 1Ad; [10] 5/6/17: 22Ad; [26] 10/6/17:
1Ad.
Platycnemis latipes
Rambur, 1842
[1] 3/6/17: 3m; [2] 3/6/17: 35Ad; [4] 3/6/17: 1Ad; [8] 6/6/17: 13Ad; [9] 5/6/17: 1Ad;
[10] 5/6/17: 15Ad; [15] 7/6/17: 1Ad; [26] 10/6/17: 2Ad.
Coenagrion caerulescens
(Fonscolombe, 1838)
[2] 3/6/17: 8Ad.
Erythromma lindenii
(Selys, 1840)
[1] 3/6/17: 1m; [2] 3/6/17: 4Ad; [7] 4/6/17: 10Ad; [8] 6/6/17: 34Ad; [10] 5/6/17: 2Ad.
Erythromma viridulum
(Charpentier, 1840)
[8] 6/6/17: 1Ad; [20] 8/6/17: 2Ad.
Ischnura graellsii
(Rambur, 1842)
[1] 3/6/17: 5Ad; [2] 3/6/17: 45Ad; [3] 3/6/17: 10Ad; [4] 3/6/17: 2Ad; [7] 4/6/17: 5Ad;
[8] 5/6/17: 50Ad; [8] 6/6/17: 12Ad; [9] 5/6/17: 10Ad; [10] 5/6/17: 8Ad; [15] 7/6/17:
10Ad; [16] 7/6/17: 2Ad; [17] 7/6/17: 1Ad; [18] 8/6/17: 130Ad; [19] 8/6/17: 40Ad; [20]
8/6/17: 5Ad; [21] 8/6/17: 12Ad; [22] 8/6/17: 100Ad; [23] 9/6/17: 70Ad; [24] 9/6/17:
1Ad; [25] 10/6/17: 8Ad; [26] 10/6/17: 2Ad; [28] 11/6/17: 10Ad.
Aeshna mixta
Latreille, 1805
[5] 4/6/17: 1f.
Anax ephippiger
(Burmeister, 1839)
[18] 8/6/17: 1Ad; [19] 8/6/17: 1Ad.

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Anax imperator
Leach, 1815
[8] 6/6/17: 1f; [10] 5/6/17: 1Ad; [16] 7/6/17: 1Ad; [20] 8/6/17: 1Ad.
Anax parthenope
(Selys, 1839)
[16] 7/6/17: 2Ad; [18] 8/6/17: 1Ad; [23] 9/6/17: 6Ad.
Boyeria irene
(Fonscolombe, 1838)
[8] 6/6/17: 2Ad; [10] 5/6/17: 1Ex; [26] 10/6/17: 1Ad.
Gomphus graslinii
Rambur, 1842
[8] 5/6/17: 1f1Ad; [8] 6/6/17: 1f1Ad.
Gomphus pulchellus
Selys, 1840
[7] 4/6/17: 2Ad.
Gomphus simillimus simillimus
Selys, 1840
[8] 6/6/17: 1m1Ad; [9] 5/6/17: 1Ad; [10] 5/6/17: 1Ad.
Onychogomphus costae
Selys, 1885
[2] 3/6/17: 8m20Ad; [8] 6/6/17: 2Ad.
Onychogomphus forcipatus unguiculatus
(Vander Linden, 1823)
[2] 3/6/17: 2m3Ad; [3] 3/6/17: 2Ad; [4] 3/6/17: 1Ex; [7] 4/6/17: 1Ad; [8] 5/6/17: 1Ex; [8]
6/6/17: 3Ad; [9] 5/6/17: 1Ad; [10] 5/6/17: 16Ad; [25] 10/6/17: 1Ad; [26] 10/6/17: 10Ad.
Onychogomphus uncatus
(Charpentier, 1840)
[26] 10/6/17: 5Ad.
Paragomphus genei
(Selys, 1841)
[8] 5/6/17: 3Ex; [8] 6/6/17: 2Ad.
Cordulegaster boltonii algirica
Morton, 1915
[7] 4/6/17: 1Ad.
Macromia splendens
(Pictet, 1843)
[8] 6/6/17: 2Ad; [26] 10/6/17: 1Ad.
Oxygastra curtisii
(Dale, 1834)
[8] 6/6/17: 10Ad; [9] 5/6/17: 5Ad; [10] 5/6/17: 1Ad; [26] 10/6/17: 1Ad.
Brachythemis impartita
(Karsch, 1890)
[14] 7/6/17: 1Ad; [15] 7/6/17: 15Ad.
Crocothemis erythraea
(Brullé, 1832)
[2] 3/6/17: 12Ad; [8] 6/6/17: 5Ad; [16] 7/6/17: 4Ad; [18] 8/6/17: 9Ad; [19] 8/6/17:
16Ad; [23] 9/6/17: 4Ad; [24] 9/6/17: 2Ad.

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Code Water body Municipal district Province UTM
square
1Río Guadalhorce Pizarra Málaga 30SUF46
2Arroyo de las Piedras Álora Málaga 30SUF48
3Río Turón Casarabonela Málaga 30SUF37
4Río del Burgo Burgo, El Málaga 30SUF27
5En Buejos Altos Ubrique Cádiz 30STF85
6Arroyo del Parrón Jerez de la Frontera Cádiz 30STF74
7Río Hozgarganta Cortes de la Frontera Málaga 30STF74
8Río Hozgarganta Jimena de la Frontera Cádiz 30STF83
9Río Guadiaro Jimena de la Frontera Cádiz 30STF83
10 Río Genal Gaucín Málaga 30STF94
11 Balsa industrial o minera Jimena de la Frontera Cádiz 30STF83
12 Embalse del Barbate Alcalá de los Gazules Cádiz 30STF53
13 Canal en Cañada de Algeciras Benalup-Casas Viejas Cádiz 30STF42
14 Río Barbate Medina-Sidonia Cádiz 30STF42
15 Río Barbate Benalup-Casas Viejas Cádiz 30STF42
16 // Benalup-Casas Viejas Cádiz 30STF42
17 Marismas de la Madre Almonte Huelva 29SQB21
18 Lagunas del Huerto y Las Pajas Almonte Huelva 29SQB10
19 Lagunas del Abalorio Almonte Huelva 29SQB01
20 Arroyo de la Rocina Almonte Huelva 29SQB11
21 Arroyo de La Cañada indet Huelva 29SQB21
22 Arroyo de la Palmosa Hinojos Huelva 29SQB21
23 Arroyo del Majadal San José del Valle Cádiz 29SQA55
24 Río San Pedro Puerto Real Cádiz 29SQA55
25 Río Guadiaro San Roque Cádiz 30STF92
26 Río Genal Jubrique Málaga 30STF94
27 Arroyo de la Jornada Casares Málaga 30STF93
28 Río Guadalhorce Málaga Málaga 30SUF65
29 Río Guadalhorce Málaga Málaga 30SUF65
Table 1. Localities visited during the June 2017 field trip.

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Diplacodes lefebvrii
(Rambur, 1842)
[19] 8/6/17: 10Ad.
Orthetrum brunneum
(Fonscolombe, 1837)
[2] 3/6/17: 2m4Ad.
Orthetrum cancellatum
(Linnaeus, 1758)
[8] 6/6/17: 1Ad; [12] 7/6/17: 1Ad; [13] 7/6/17: 1Ad; [18] 8/6/17: 6Ad; [19] 8/6/17: 1Ad;
[20] 8/6/17: 8Ad; [23] 9/6/17: 2Ad; [29] 11/6/17: 1Ad.
Orthetrum chrysostigma
(Burmeister, 1839)
[1] 3/6/17: 9m; [2] 3/6/17: 35Ad; [8] 5/6/17: 3Ad; [8] 6/6/17: 8Ad1Ten.; [9] 5/6/17: 3Ad;
[10] 5/6/17: 4Ad.
Orthetrum coerulescens
(Fabricius, 1798)
[2] 3/6/17: 5Ad; [6] 4/6/17: 1f; [8] 6/6/17: 5Ad; [9] 5/6/17: 1Ad.
Orthetrum nitidinerve
(Selys, 1841)
[2] 3/6/17: 1f.
Orthetrum trinacria
(Selys, 1841)
[19] 8/6/17: 3Ad; [23] 9/6/17: 4Ad.
Sympetrum fonscolombii
(Selys, 1840)
[1] 3/6/17: 1Ad; [13] 7/6/17: 5Ad; [14] 7/6/17: 25Ad; [15] 7/6/17: 15Ad; [16] 7/6/17:
20Ad; [18] 8/6/17: 10Ad; [19] 8/6/17: 4Ad; [23] 9/6/17: 30Ad; [24] 9/6/17: 1Ad; [27]
11/6/17: 1Ad.
Sympetrum meridionale
(Selys, 1841)
[5] 4/6/17: 1Ten.; [19] 8/6/17: 1Ten.
Sympetrum striolatum
(Charpentier, 1840)
[18] 8/6/17: 4Ad.
Trithemis annulata
(Palisot de Beauvois, 1807)
[1] 3/6/17: 6m; [8] 5/6/17: 2f; [8] 6/6/17: 1m8Ad; [9] 5/6/17: 2Ad; [10] 5/6/17:
1Ad; [11] 5/6/17: 1Ad; [15] 7/6/17: 3Ad; [20] 8/6/17: 6Ad; [27] 11/6/17: 1Ad.
Trithemis kirbyi
Selys, 1891
[1] 3/6/17: 7m; [2] 3/6/17: 17Ad; [8] 6/6/17: 4Ad; [9] 5/6/17: 1Ad; [10] 5/6/17:
10Ad; [26] 10/6/17: 2Ad.
Zygonyx torridus
(Kirby, 1889)
[2] 3/6/17: 1m.