New data on the dragonfly fauna of the Moulouya River Basin and the Oriental Region, Morocco (Odonata)

We present new faunistic and distributional data on dragonflies (Odonata) from the east of Morocco, comprising the administrative Oriental Region and the Moulouya River Basin and covering an area of 119 268 km2. A checklist of 47 species belonging to 19 genera and seven families is provided. Pseudagrion s. sublacteum (Coenagrionidae), Aeshna mixta (Aeshnidae), Sympetrum sinaiticum and S. meridionale (Libellulidae) are new for Eastern Morocco, while Paragomphus genei (Gomphidae) is new for the Moulouya watershed. Our surveys yield evidence of breeding of Zygonyx torridus in the Moulouya River, of Sympetrum sinaiticum in the Oriental province, and also of Boyeria Irene, which remained unrecorded for more than three decades. We confirm the occurrence of Brachythemis impartita in the study area, by providing new sightings. Our results also revealed the range expansion of several other species whereas some previously known species in the region were not found. We found a clear dominance of the Palearctic elements, mainly Mediterranean, with a high proportion of Ibero-Maghrebian endemic species. This chorotype pattern is similar to patterns observed for other macroinvertebrate groups in the same study area.