A dataset on the checklist and geographical distributions of Odonata from Guangdong, China

Odonata, one of the most ancient lineages of aquatic insects, is highly sensitive to environmental change and serves as a crucial link between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. As such, it plays an important role in biodiversity research and ecological monitoring and is widely recognized as a key indicator group for assessing ecosystem health and guiding conservation efforts. Guangdong Province is one of China’s biodiversity hotspots for Odonata. However, systematic surveys of the region’s Odonata diversity remain limited, largely because comprehensive species distribution data are lacking, which hinders effective conservation planning. To address this gap, we compiled a comprehensive checklist and geographic distribution dataset of Odonata for Guangdong Province, based on long-term field surveys, literature review, and multi-source database integration. The dataset covers records from 1980 to 2024 and documents 261 species across 115 genera and 19 families, including 180 Anisoptera and 81 Zygoptera species. At the family level, Libellulidae (24.14%), Gomphidae (19.54%), Aeshnidae (13.03%), Coenagrionidae (8.81%) and Macromiidae (5.75%) were the most species-rich. The dataset integrates IUCN Red List status information for 149 Odonata species, with Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU), and Near Threatened (NT) species accounting for 2.01%, 5.37%, and 2.68% respectively. With its high spatial resolution, this dataset enables identification of insect diversity hotspots and provides a foundation for long-term monitoring and conservation assessment. The accompanying species checklist constitutes a key resource for characterizing the biogeographic structure of insect assemblages in South China and for providing baseline information to guide the establishment of Nanling National Park.