Ecology and conservation of Pseudolestes mirabilis (Odonata: Zygoptera), a damselfly endemic to Hainan Island of China

Although some efforts have addressed oriental dragonfly conservation, knowledge on the ecology and geographic distribution of such dragonflies remains scant. The phoenix damselfly Pseudolestes mirabilis Kirby, 1900 is the single species in the family Pseudolestidae that is endemic to Hainan Island of China. This damselfly was recommended by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to be of priority for further study and conservation. In this work, we use ecological niche modeling techniques to estimate the dimensions of the realized niches of this damselfly and to predict its potential distribution. Our findings suggest that the phoenix damselfly possessed a small climate space characterized by low temperature and high precipitation. Highly suitable areas are mainly distributed in the low‐altitude regions of southern central tree‐covered mountains in Hainan. Caution is warranted when considering the potential habitat loss attributed to human activity and climate change.