I am an entomologist interested in describing and understanding patterns of diversity. Recent projects included a wide variety of groups ranging from birds to bats and from grasshoppers to true bugs, but dragonflies are for sure my favorite study subject. For this I use a variety of methods including image- and sound recognition, species distribution modelling, phylogenomics, citizen science projects and classical morphology. My preferred research method is fieldwork and hence I regularly organise scientific expeditions for both volunteer experts and professional entomologists.
Keywords
Biogeography, Odonata, phylogeny, dragonflies, damselflies, freshwater, biodiversity hotspots
Researchinterest
My main aim is to describe and understand the global diversity patterns of dragonflies and damselflies and understand how the distribution patterns we observe today evolved over the past 200 million years. Furthermore I am interested in how climate change is reshaping distribution patterns. My active involvement in the IUCN Dragonfly Specialist Group ensures that this information is used for conservation of global freshwater biodiversity.
Currenttopics
A selection of the topics I am currently working on.
Biogeography of Dragonflies and Damselflies
IUCN Dragonfly Specialist Group
Suriname Biodiversity Project
Aruba Bonaire Curacao Natural History Collections
Odonata Collection
Stichting Fonds Pontium for systematic zoology
Bhutan biodiversity project (closed)
Keypublications
Kalkman, V. J., Boudot, J.-P., Futahashi, R., Abbott, J. C., Bota-Sierra, C. A., Guralnick, R., Bybee, S. M., Ware, J., & Belitz, M. W. (2022). Diversity of Palaearctic dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). Diversity, 14(11), 966.
Cadena, J. T., Boudot, J.‐P., Kalkman, V. J., & Marshall, L. (2023). Impacts of climate change on dragonflies and damselflies in West and Central Asia. Diversity and Distributions, 29(7), 912–925.
Dow, R. A., Choong, C. Y., Grinang, J., Lupiyaningdyah, P., Ngiam, R. W. J., & Kalkman, V. J. (2024). Checklist of the Odonata (Insecta) of Sundaland and Wallacea (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and Timor Leste). Zootaxa, 5460(1), 1–122.
Sayer, C. A., … Kalkman, V.J. … & Harrison, I. (2025). One-quarter of freshwater fauna threatened with extinction. Nature, 638(8049), 138–145.
Ghani, B., Kalkman, V. J., Planqué, B., Vellinga, W.-P., Gill, L., & Stowell, D. (2025). Impact of transfer learning methods and dataset characteristics on generalization in birdsong classification. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 16273.
Carter, J., Goodman, A., Abbott, J., Bota Sierra, C., Bybee, S., Dow, R., Fomekong Lontchi, J., Frandsen, P., Gonzalez Mozo, L., Guralnick, R., Hämäläinen, M., Joshi, S., Kohli, M., Lupiyaningdyah, P., Montana, J., Newton, J., Onsongo, F., Orr, A., Pinto, A., Sanchez-Herrera, M., Sutherland, C., Theischinger, G., Ware, J., Zhang, H., & Kalkman, V.J. (2026). The classification and diversity of extant dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). International Journal of Odonatology, 29, 95–124. https://doi.org/10.48156/1388.2026.1917385
In themedia
In the media
Newspapers: Volkskrant, NRC, Trouw, Guardian
Websites: NU.nl, Nature Today
Radio: Radio 1, VroegeVogels, Sleutelstad,
Television: Vroege Vogels, Jeugdjournaal, Klokhuis
NPO documentary De Toren: Naturalis in Bhutan
