Oral Presentation Society for Freshwater Science 2026 Annual Meeting

Afromontane damselflies as indicators of freshwater ecosystem change (134735)

Lenin D Chari 1 , Dorothy C Madamba 2 , Kudzai Mafuwe 3 , Blessing M Mugaviri 4 , Gerald Chikowore 5 6 , Sydney Moyo 1
  1. Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 70803, Louisiana, United States
  2. Entomology, Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
  3. Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States
  4. Nyanga Station, Zimbabwe National Parks, Nyanga, Manicaland, Zimbabwe
  5. Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa
  6. Tsetse Control Services, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Harare, Zimbabwe

Afromontane freshwater ecosystems are global biodiversity hotspots characterized by high endemism and strong sensitivity to land-use change and climate variability. Yet for many threatened damselfly species (Odonata: Zygoptera), particularly those restricted to montane headwaters and seepage systems, baseline distribution data remain limited, constraining effective conservation planning. Because damselflies respond predictably to changes in riparian vegetation, hydrology, and water quality, they provide a powerful lens for assessing freshwater ecosystem condition in data-limited regions. In this study, we examine the distribution and habitat associations of threatened damselflies across the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe by integrating multiple data sources. We develop a historical database of species occurrences sourced from museum records, literature, and opportunistic surveys, in collaboration with regional partners. We complement these data with contemporary field surveys, habitat characterization, and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. Study sites span montane streams, seepages, and forested riparian habitats across gradients of elevation, land use, and disturbance. Using species occurrence data, including historical records, we examine emerging patterns in community composition and model the probability of damselfly presence as a function of local habitat features and broader landscape context. Analyses are ongoing, and this presentation focuses on consistent patterns rather than finalized trend estimates. Preliminary results indicate strong associations between threatened damselfly taxa and intact, shaded headwater systems, and highlight the value of combining historical records, contemporary surveys, eDNA, and spatial modeling to identify priority habitats. Together, this work demonstrates how damselflies can serve as sensitive indicators of freshwater ecosystem change and provides a framework for integrating heterogeneous data to support conservation planning in threatened Afromontane freshwater systems.