Odonata of South Ural, Russia, as observed on expedition of July 2021

On 3rd-14th July 2021, Odonata were examined in 39 localities in South Ural, in Oremburg and Chelyabinsk Provinces and Bashkortostan Republic, and one locality in Middle Ural, Sverdlovsk Province (Russia). In total 56 species were registered by photographs and/or collections, plus one species just visually. Of them, Orthetrum albistylum, O. brunneum, O. coerulescens anceps and Sympetrum meridionale are reported for Ural for the first time. While O. brunneum and O. coerulescens could be overlooked in poorly studied Orenburg Province, O. albistylum and S. meridionale have obviously extended their ranges to South Ural from south or west, most probably as a result of climate warming. Anax imperator and A. parthenope were found to have well established themselves across South Ural, the former appearing very common. Flourishing populations of Ischnura aralensis at two lakes in Chelyabinsk Province were re-examined. We failed to confirm the arguable reports of Shaogomphus postocularis epophthalmus, Macromia fraenata, Somatochlora exuberata and Cordulegaster boltoni while visiting the relevant or close localities. Specimens of Gomphus vulgatissumus from the south of the region studied had yellow colour on their femora, up to predominating on all femora in both sexes. This character is usually associated with the southern sister species Gomphus schneideri. However, their structural characters rather do not fit that taxon so we abstain from associating the South Uralian specimens with it.