New provincial records of Odonata in Sweden 2018–2020

Abstract

During the last three years we have seen a further increase in submitted Odonata observations to the Species Observation System (Artportalen). More than 15 000 observations have been submitted annually 2018–2020. This after the interest for and the knowledge of dragonflies in Sweden already had increased dramatically for more than a decade. The paper presents the 47 new provincial records of 23 species made in 2018-2020. Included is the first ever Crocothemis erythraea (Brullé, 1832) in Sweden, which increases the amount of species registered in Sweden to 65. With the sole exception of Lycksele lappmark, new provincial records of dragonflies have been made in every province since 2009. There are still gaps in our knowledge regarding the range of several species. In the northernmost provinces we yet lack observations of even some of the more common species. Since the interest still is on a rise and many dragonflies show a northern expansion shift, we should in the years to come continue to get more new provincial records.