Dragonflies and damselflies of the Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area, Agulhas Plain, South Africa: 2018-2024

Abstract

The Nuwejaars River and its associated wetlands lie in the Heuningnes Catchment, situated within the Overberg region in the province of the Western Cape, South Africa. Large areas of invasive alien vegetation have been cleared from the floodplain of the river. Over the period 2018 to 2024, 452 records of 25 species of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) were made in the Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area. Although the results are not confirmed by quantitative data, it is clear that the abundance of odonatids has increased since the removal of the infestations of alien invasive vegetation from the floodplain. The most unexpected species was Spesbona Spesbona angusta.