Aeshna cyanea

[Regional assessment]

Threats

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	ARTHROPODA	INSECTA	ODONATA	AESHNIDAE

Scientific Name:

Aeshna cyanea

Species Authority:

(Müller, 1764)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Blue Hawker, Southern Hawker
French	–	Aeschne Bleue, L'aeschne Bleue

Synonym/s:

Libellula cyanea Müller, 1764

Red List Category & Criteria:	Endangered B2ab(i,iii) (Regional assessment) ver 3.1
Year Published:	2010
Assessor/s:	Ferreira, S. & Samraoui, B.
Reviewer/s:	Dijkstra, K.-D.B., Clausnitzer, V., Suhling, F., Samways, M., Samraoui, B., Boudot, J.P., Kipping, J. & Allen, D. (IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity Unit) (IUCN Pan Africa Freshwater Biodiversity Assessement workshop, Cairo, 2009).
Contributor/s:
Justification: Aeshna cyanea is severely fragmented and currently is known only from two locations in Algeria. Its extent of occurrence is less than 20,000 km² and area of occupancy is less than 500 km². Habitat loss through the fire, livestock and water extraction is ongoing. A declining population trend is inferred from declining habitat size and quality. Not endemic but not found elsewhere in Africa. It is listed as Endangered.

Range Description:	Aeshna cyanea is a one of the commonest species of the genus in central Europe. It becomes scarcer towards the northeast (to Urals) and the southern parts of its range. Northern African populations are genetically distinct from the European populations (based on ecology, but no genetic data to date; Samraoui, pers. comm.). It is highly localised in northern Africa, where it is only known from two localities in Algeria. The population is severely fragmented. The presence if the species in Morocco is uncertain and needs to be confirmed.
Countries:	Native: Algeria
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population:	This species is inferred to be declining due to habitat loss. It is rare.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology:	Strictly a Nilotic species that is confined to high altitudes (very different from European range). It avoids the plains.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Major Threat(s):	The major threats to the species are habitat loss related to livestock and water extraction. Habitat loss through the fire is an ongoing threat.

Major Threat(s):

The major threats to the species are habitat loss related to livestock and water extraction. Habitat loss through the fire is an ongoing threat.

Conservation Actions:	Habitat conservation is needed.

Conservation Actions:

Habitat conservation is needed.

Citation:	Ferreira, S. & Samraoui, B. 2010. Aeshna cyanea. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2013.
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