Calopteryx syriaca

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	ARTHROPODA	INSECTA	ODONATA	CALOPTERYGIDAE

Scientific Name:

Calopteryx syriaca

Species Authority:

Rambur, 1842

Common Name/s:

English

–

Syrian Demoiselle

Synonym/s:

Calopteryx splendens subspecies pseudosyriaca Buchholz, 1955

Calopteryx splendens subspecies syriaca Rambur, 1842

Calopteryx splendens syriaca Rambur, 1842

Taxonomic Notes:

This taxon is regarded as a subspecies of splendens Harris, 1782 by several authors (Schmidt 1938, 1954; Buchholtz 1955; Rueppell et al. 2005; Kalkman 2006). Calopteryx syriaca is an endemic of the southern Levant (Schneider 1986, Dumont 1991) and overlaps in its northernmost range with Calopteryx hyalina Martin, 1909. In their area of sympatry both taxa exhibit 'character displacement', which is another reason to give them full specific rank (Schneider 1986).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered A2c ver 3.1

Year Published:

2010

Assessor/s:

Schneider, W.

Reviewer/s:

Boudot, J.-P., Jovic, M. (Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Workshop, Oct. 2007) & Pollock, C.M. (Red List Unit)

Contributor/s:

Justification:
This eastern Mediterranean endemic has a restricted distribution along the river systems of the Levant: Orontes, Litani, Jordan, and coastal rivers between 35°N and 32°N. As typical for a taxon in semiarid environments, its area of occupancy (AOO) is patchy within its extent of occurrence (EOO). The first signs of a decline were observed in 1980 (Schneider 1982), but more exact observations on local extinctions are available as of 1997/98 (Katbeh-Bader et al. 2002, Schneider 2004) for Jordan and Syria. Water engineering has irreversibly changed and destroyed freshwater habitats (Jordan Valley, Litani, Barada, upper Orontes). The causes for the decline have not ceased. As in Calopteryx hyalina, it is likely that C. syriaca has undergone a population decline of at least 50% over the last 10 years, given the scale of habitat loss and ongoing high demands on water resources in the region.

History:

2007	–	Endangered
1996	–	Endangered
1994	–	Endangered (Groombridge 1994)
1990	–	Endangered (IUCN 1990)
1988	–	Endangered (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1986	–	Endangered (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Calopteryx syriaca is an endemic of the southern Levant with a restricted distribution along the river systems of the Levant: upper course of the Orontes (not beyond 35°N), Litani, Jordan, coastal rivers between 35°N and 32°N. Populations in the Wadis of the Dead Sea Valley do no longer exist (Schneider 1982). Egyptian and Turkish records are misidentifications. From a zoogeographical point of view the species is postglacially expanding northwards although this movement is now stopped due to habitat destruction.
Countries:	Native: Israel; Jordan; Lebanon; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Syrian Arab Republic
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	No information is available for this species. It is not common in the Mediterranean region.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Calopteryx syriaca needs perennial running waters but does survive in intermittent coastal rivers with flowing sections and riparian vegetation (emergent vegetation, submergent vegetation, roots).
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	As for its congener C. hyalina, the major threat is water extraction for agriculture and human consumption over its entire range. Drought and drying out of habitats as a result of climate change is another future threat.

Major Threat(s):

As for its congener C. hyalina, the major threat is water extraction for agriculture and human consumption over its entire range. Drought and drying out of habitats as a result of climate change is another future threat.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Protection of pristine river sections in nature reserves or protected areas. Calopteryx syriaca is found in protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

Protection of pristine river sections in nature reserves or protected areas. Calopteryx syriaca is found in protected areas.

Citation:	Schneider, W. 2010. Calopteryx syriaca. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2013.
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