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.