Odonata records from the Middle East (2013–2022)

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.