European regional assessment: Endangered (EN)
EU 27 regional assessment: Endangered (EN)

Ischnura intermedia is an endemic species from West Asia, occurring from western Cyprus to the mountains along the border of Iran and Turkmenistan (De Knijf et al. 2016, Boudot et al. 2021). In Europe, it is restricted to the southwestern part of Cyprus only, where populations are confined to two river valleys. Since its discovery in 2013 (De Knijf et al. 2016), the populations of this species are counted bimonthly, resulting in a good overview of its population trend in Cyprus. Its Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is around 508 km². Its range cannot extend further to the east as no permanently flowing rivers occur there. This range is based on all observations since 2013, but several populations are lost, so the actual EOO is below 500 km².

Its current Area of Occupancy (AOO; based on records dated 2014 onwards) is small (92 km²). A continuing decline has been observed both in the number of populations and in the number of individuals. The quality of the habitat is likely to be declining and is even expected to deteriorate further in the future due to precipitation deficit caused by climate change, gravel extraction from the streambed and the construction of dams in Cyprus. Therefore this species is classified as Endangered (A2ac; B1ab(i, ii, iii, iv)+2ab(i, ii, iii, iv); D).

Within the European region, this species is only recorded from western Cyprus (De Knijf et al. 2016). Presence in other parts of the island is not likely as the climate is much drier (G. De Knijf pers. comm.).

This is an endemic species from West Asia, occurring from western Cyprus to the Kopet Dag Mountains along the border of Iran and Turkmenistan (De Knijf et al. 2016, Boudot et al. 2021). Former records of Ischnura forcipata from Iran and the Iranian/Turkmenistan border area (Schmidt 1954, Schoorl 2000) proved in fact to be I. intermedia (Dumont and Borisov 1995). Therefore, I. intermedia is now known from Cyprus, southern Türkiye, adjacent northern Syria and Iraq (Dumont and Borisov 1995, De Knijf et al. 2016) and also Iran (Schneider and Ikemeyer 2019) and southern Turkmenistan. It is believed to share a common ancestor with the Asian I. forcipata (Morton 1907), of which the range had been fragmented by the desertification of Central Asia and eastern Iran.

Since its discovery in 2013 (De Knijf et al. 2016), all the populations of Ischnura intermedia in Cyprus are bimonthly monitored. Based on these results the species has more or less stable populations in two river valleys. The maximum count on a day at the best site was always below 100 mature individuals. At the 3 other river valleys, only some individuals were observed. The total population on a single day is estimated to be below 250 mature individuals.

All localities in Cyprus can be described as slow-flowing, well vegetated streams and small rivers. The species is often confined to small secondary channels adjacent to streams and rivulets where the current slows and water is retained. Marshy areas and small swamps occur locally in or near the streambed and taller grassy margins (often reed-vegetation, up to 4 m) grow adjacent to the stream (De Knijf et al. 2016). It appears that populations can only become established at sites that have permanent water.

Extreme drought and desiccation of rivers linked to climate change are major problems in Cyprus. Its habitat is also threatened as a consequence of extreme floods which destroyed the habitat requirements of the species (marshy vegetation near the stream bed). Dam construction and river alteration (e.g. gravel extraction) results in changes in the river bed and so to loss of its specific habitat.

This species is not utilised.

Ischnura intermedia is only known from five river valleys (accounting for 12 localities) but is recently only present at two, and the quality of the habitat is likely to be declining and is even expected to deteriorate further in the future due to precipitation deficit caused by climate change, and the construction of dams in Cyprus (De Knijf et al. 2016). Since its discovery in 2013 in Cyprus, the species has already disappeared from several localities due to extreme drought and desiccation of the river, but also as a consequence of extreme floods which destroyed the habitat requirements of the species (marshy vegetation near the stream bed).

River basin management plans should be worked on whereby special attention should be paid to ecological flows conforming to the European Water Framework Directive. This should mitigate or even impede water abstraction for agricultural or domestic use from streams and rivers. This species should be urgently included in the Annexes of the European Habitats Directive and special areas of conservation must be delineated.