Occurrence and distribution of Odonata (Insect: dragonflies and damselflies)
in Nigeria

Occurrence and distribution of Odonata (Insect: dragonflies and damselflies) in Nigeria 00

Ojonugwa Ekpaha ✉️ ✉️ ORCID logo, Frank Suhlinga ORCID logo

  1. Institut für Geoökologie, Technische Universität, Braunschweig, Germany

International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 28, Pages 146-158, 2025

https://doi.org/10.48156/1388.2025.1917346

Published: 22 October 2025 (Received: 30 July 2025, Accepted: 8 October 2025)

00 Full text PDF          ©Copyright information

Abstract

An inventory of Nigeria’s Odonata and their distribution in each of the country’s ecological zones are presented for the first time. Records are based on occurrence information from databases, verified literature, and observations from the field between 2020 to 2025. Databases included Odonata Database of Africa with records as far back as 1905 and iNaturalist from September 2012 to April 2025. Red List Categories were assigned to all species following the IUCN global Red List assessments but with modification for some species, thereby creating a proposed national Red List. With a total of 4630 records, the number of Odonata species known and confirmed to occur in Nigeria is 249. Some Odonata species previously known to occur at some particular localities were no longer found there indicating a change in diversity from 1905. A list of odonate species which are found near the Nigerian borders in neighbouring countries but have not been confirmed in Nigeria are given. Comments are also made on Odonata species unlikely to occur in Nigeria but reported in literature.

Keywords: Conservation, endangered, records, Red List

Issue section: Original Article

Vol. 28
All issues