Odonata records from the Middle East (2013–2022)
Data files
Jan 05, 2026 version files 63.74 KB
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Addition_to_the_Middle_east_Odonata.xlsx
60.63 KB
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README.md
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Abstract
This dataset includes 12,770 georeferenced occurrence records documenting 144 Odonata species (dragonflies and damselflies) observed between 2013 and 2022 across the Middle East. The data are provided in two components. The dataset deposited in Dryad consists of author-compiled, occurrence records derived from peer-reviewed scientific literature. Additional GBIF-derived occurrence records, including those published in The Atlas of the Dragonflies and Damselflies of West and Central Asia, are made available separately as Supplemental Information via Zenodo. The dataset was subjected to thorough preprocessing to ensure taxonomic and geographic consistency. Species names were validated and standardized using regional and global taxonomic references. Several taxa were synonymized following current taxonomic consensus, including the treatment of Calopteryx orientalis as a subspecies of Calopteryx splendens, Coenagrion vanbrinkae as a synonym of Coenagrion ornatum, Enallagma risi under E. cyathigerum, and Cordulegaster nobilis under C. charpentieri. Duplicate records—defined as entries with identical geographic coordinates (rounded to four decimal degrees) within the same year—were removed. Records lacking species-level identification or geographic coordinates were excluded. Subspecies and varieties were merged into their respective species.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.nk98sf86q
Description of the data and file structure
This dataset includes 12,770 georeferenced occurrence records documenting 144 Odonata species (dragonflies and damselflies) observed between 2013 and 2022 across the Middle East.
The data are organized into two components. The primary data file (Addition_to_the_Middle_east_Odonata.xlsx) deposited in Dryad consists of author-compiled, occurrence records derived from peer-reviewed scientific literature. GBIF-derived occurrence records (Middle_east_odonata_2013_onward_gbif.csv), including those used in The Atlas of the Dragonflies and Damselflies of West and Central Asia, are provided separately as Supplemental Information via Zenodo.
To reduce potential conservation risks, geographic coordinates were generalized based on species conservation status. Coordinates for near-threatened species were rounded to 0.01 decimal degrees, for vulnerable species to 0.1 decimal degrees, and for endangered species to a minimum precision of 1 degree. As a result, spatial precision varies among records.
References:
Boudot, J.-P., Borisov, S., De Knijf, G., van Grunsven, R. H., Schröter, A. & Kalkman, V. J. (2021) Atlas of the dragonflies and damselflies of West and Central Asia. Brachytron, 22 Supplement.
Eslami Barzoki, Z., Ebrahimi, M., Kiany, M. & Sadeghi, S. (2021b) Ecological drivers of Odonata beta diversity in arid and semi‐arid regions of the central plateau of Iran. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 14, 40-51.
Waldhauser, M., Vierstraete, A. & Schneider, T. (2023) Records of little-known Odonata from south-western Saudi Arabia. Notulae Odonatologicae, 10, 17-29.
Addition_to_the_Middle_east_Odonata.xlsx
Description:
Variables
- Longitude: Longitude in decimal degrees (WGS84)
- Latitude: Latitude in decimal degrees (WGS84)
- Species: Scientific name of the Odonata species
- genus: The genus name of the recorded Odonata species.
- family: The taxonomic family to which the species belongs, following standard Odonata classification.
- suborder: The taxonomic subdivision within Odonata, distinguishing between dragonflies (Anisoptera) and damselflies (Zygoptera).
- order: The taxonomic order of the recorded insect. All records belong to the order Odonata.
- year: The year in which the observation or specimen record was collected or reported.
- country: The country where the record was observed or collected
Code/software
For data analysis and visualization, the file can also be imported into open-source statistical software such as R or Python. Basic data cleaning and formatting were performed in R using the packages dplyr and readr. No proprietary or custom software is required to access or use the dataset.
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data: https://www.gbif.org/dataset/17298ce5-235a-4da7-ae6f-bd6cd26282ab