The first emerging records of a dragonfly in the dark zone of subterranean ecosystems: Exuviae and newly emerged adults of Hyrcanian Goldenring, Cordulegaster vanbrinkae in Danial Cave, northern Iran

Abstract

Riverine caves are special habitats that are home to many aquatic and terrestrial species. Some Odonata species and their emerging are recorded at the entrance and in the twilight zones of subterranean habitats around the world. However, the emergence of any Odonata species has not been recorded in the dark zones of caves or other subterranean habitats. We report the first evidence of the emerging of the Hyrcanian Goldenring, Cordulegaster vanbrinkae Lohmann, 1993, as an endemic species of the Hyrcanian biogeographical region, in the dark zone of Danial Cave, in the World Heritage‐listed Hyrcanian Forests, northern Iran. During 2020–2023, three newly emerged and three exuviae of the species were recorded in the entrance zone (25 m) and the dark zone of the cave (200–280 m). The main hypothesis of the study is the entry and exit of adults from the cave entrance. However, we still do not know if the newly emerged will leave the cave or not. We still need more study on the biology and ecology of the species inside and around the cave. Danial Cave, with its high biodiversity, is one of the most important caves in the Middle East, and is urgently in need of conservation as a national natural monument.