Heteragrion itacolomii sp. nov. (♂ holotype: Brazil, Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto, Parque Estadual do Itacolomi, Trilha da Lagoa, 1350m, 23-xii-2018, 20º25’57”S, 43º30’27”W; and ♀ allotype, same data as holotype, but collected in tandem 20-iii-2019, deposited in ABMM – CCT/UFMG collection) is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to H. tiradentense Machado & Bedê, 2006, H. muryense Costa & Santos, 2000 and H. mantiqueirae Machado, 2006, based on coloration of the thorax and has cerci similar to those of H. freddiemercuryi Lencioni, 2013. It belongs to Group A and differs from other congeners by the morphology of the ventral expansion and the medial process of the cerci in males. Information about the intersternite of the single female specimen is also provided.

This paper describes the composition and distribution of Anisoptera and Zygoptera (Odonata) species of the upper Rio das Velhas in the municipality of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. A total of 727 specimens of 40 species were collected near water bodies over a period of 23 months between 2015 and 2017. The families with greatest species richness were Libellulidae (13 species), Coenagrionidae (12 species) and Heteragrionidae and Aeshnidae (4 species each). Notable among the species collected were Perilestes fragilis Hagen in Selys, 1862, inhabiting well-preserved forests, Minagrion waltheri Santos, 1965, pertaining a endemic genus of Brazil and the recently described Heteragrion cauei Ávila-Júnior et al., 2017, and three species recorded for the first time for the state: Elasmothemis alcebiadesi (Santos, 1945); Erythrodiplax melanica Borror, 1942 and Erythrodiplax acantha Borror, 1942, the latter is considered Critically Endangered (CR) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List.

Faunal inventories are essential for biota management and conservation, especially in areas with potential for the creation of conservation units. Inventories of insect taxa such as dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata), which perform several environmental services in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, are of great importance. In view of the above, this study aimed to update and expand the list of Odonata species in the Barroso region, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. This study was carried out in three areas of forest fragments in Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes in October 2020, December 2020, January 2021, and March 2021. The sampling effort was 8 hours per day during 20 days, totaling 140 sampling hours. A total of 43 Odonata species were recorded, which increased the richness of the study area from 57 to 76 species. The studied areas harbor rare and endangered species. However, since the last sampling in 2009, there has been a significant reduction in diversity in the Atlantic Forest fragment. In view of the changes that forest fragments are undergoing, we underscore the need to create a conservation unit, especially in Baú Forest.

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