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After almost two decades of research, odonatologist Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra and biologist Callan Cohen finally published the first Odonata guidebook of the Malagasy archipelago. This region hosts 227 dragonflies and damselflies species, of which 80% are endemic. Structured in two parts, this book is an excellent primer for this insect group. The first part (circa 41 pp.) covers the biology and ecology of Odonata, provides a guideline for the collection, handling, and preservation of specimens, and introduces their morphology, which is essential for their identification. The second part (137 pp.) consists of an illustrated description of each species, followed by an updated checklist and information about their geographical distribution and conservation status. I particularly liked the identification part; I tried to identify Odonata from photos I took in Madagascar, and I can confirm that it is possible. The species photographs in the book are good enough and clear. However, I noticed that most of them wasted some space on the sides. Filling this space with a distribution map could have been more informative and practical. In addition, color coding according to the family names on the page header would have allowed navigating quickly through the book. Despite these few inconveniences, this book is suitable for amateur entomologists who are patient enough to get familiar with the scientific terms illustrated and well-defined in a glossary. In particular, I would recommend it to anyone who lives in the Malagasy region or will visit this biodiversity hotspot for entomological research or tourism and to whoever has a particular interest in dragonflies and damselflies.
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Rakotomalala, A.A.N.A. Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra and Callan Cohen: Dragonflies and damselflies of Madagascar and the Western Indian Ocean Islands. COMMUNITY ECOLOGY 24, 301 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42974-023-00154-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42974-023-00154-6