The odonates (Insecta: Odonata) from Hidalgo state, Mexico: present situation and perspectives

Abstract

An historical analysis on the number of odonate species recorded for Hidalgo State is made. Moreover,collections were made in 2011 year, in 8 localities with cloud forest, during the dry and rainy seasons, twice each,complemented with occasional collections in other 8 localities with other type of forests along 2012-2013 years.Twenty-two new records of species are provided, increasing the total number of odonates for Hidalgo to 129 species.A map of the historical collection sites, as well as those places with a high potencial species richness, was generatedusing geographic information system (GIS), (GIS), indicating also the areas with high potential for new records forfuture studies in the state. For Mexico, Hidalgo occupies the fifth place in odonate diversity per km2 and the sixth onein odonate species richness, representing more than 1/3 of the species known for the country, and more than 1/2 and3/4 of the genera and families recorded for Mexico, respectively. Finally, comments are made on the high odonatediversity and its probable cause.