The department of Ñeembucú, in south-western Paraguay, is home to the virtually unexplored Ñeembucú Wetlands, the second largest wetland system in the country, representing a major gap in biodiversity knowledge. As organisms ubiquitous with wetlands, the Odonata, or dragonflies (Anisoptera) and damselflies (Zygoptera), have the potential to be effective indicators of wetland habitats in the face of increasing anthropogenic impacts in the region. We therefore comprehensively surveyed the Odonata in central Ñeembucú over a period of two years using a listing method. Here, we present an annotated checklist and identification key to the species present in central Ñeembucú with details on their habitat preferences, phenology and behaviour. We found 60 species but estimate a total of between 62 and 90 species. Eleven (18%) are new records for Paraguay. Species composition is similar to the Argentine Humid Chaco, with four bioregional endemics, whilst representatives from the Andean-Patagonian subregion are present in open areas. Such partitioning of species from different bioregions into different habitats is typical of ecotonal regions. Two further species are endemic to the Paraná-Paraguay basin and three are highly localised, indicating the high conservation value of the Ñeembucú Wetlands. Eleven species have the potential to be effective indicators of the Paraguay River, large permanent wetlands, grassy temporary wetlands and wooded temporary wetlands, providing an effective tool to identify critical wetland ecosystems in the face of the growing threats from human activities. We also provide recommendations for the protection and management of wetlands in the region. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FC5926FE-5007-446C-86B8-0E36E4D97856

中文翻译：

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巴拉圭 Ñeembucú 中部的蜻蜓目指南：湿地栖息地的指示物种

Ñeembucú 省位于巴拉圭西南部，拥有几乎未开发的Ñeembucú 湿地，这是该国第二大湿地系统，代表了生物多样性知识方面的重大空白。作为湿地无处不在的生物，蜻蜓或蜻蜓（Anisoptera）和豆娘（Zygoptera）有可能成为湿地栖息地的有效指标，以应对该地区日益增加的人为影响。因此，我们在两年内使用列表方法对 Ñeembucú 中部的 Odonata 进行了全面调查。在这里，我们为 Ñeembucú 中部存在的物种提供了一份带注释的清单和识别密钥，其中详细介绍了它们的栖息地偏好、物候和行为。我们发现了 60 种，但估计总共有 62 到 90 种。11 (18%) 是巴拉圭的新记录。物种组成类似于阿根廷潮湿的查科，有四种生物区域特有种，而安第斯-巴塔哥尼亚次区域的代表则出现在开放区域。这种将来自不同生物区的物种划分到不同栖息地是生态区的典型特征。另外两个物种是巴拉那-巴拉圭盆地的特有物种，三个物种高度本地化，表明 Ñeembucú 湿地具有很高的保护价值。11 个物种有可能成为巴拉圭河、大型永久性湿地、草地临时湿地和树木繁茂临时湿地的有效指标，为在人类活动日益严重的威胁下识别关键湿地生态系统提供有效工具。我们还为该地区的湿地保护和管理提供建议。骨灰盒：lsid：zoobank.org：