3 days ago
Over 50 Dragonfly, Damselfly Species Documented at Belvai Odonata Workshop
Mangaluru: A three-day Odonata workshop hosted by Sammilan Shetty's Butterfly Park in Belvai has documented over 50 species of dragonflies and damselflies, including several that are endemic and vulnerable in the Western Ghats.
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The residential workshop brought together 13 participants, five volunteers, two expert mentors and the host, Shetty. Field studies were conducted at Ayameri Lake in Marnad, the outskirts of forested regions near Durga and Mala, and the stream–pond ecosystems within the Butterfly Park.
"At Ayameri Lake, participants recorded a variety of species associated with open freshwater bodies," Shetty said. These included the Scalloped Spreadwing (Lestes praemorsus), Black-tipped Forest Glory (Vestalis apicalis), Stream Ruby (Heliocypha bisignata), Malabar Torrent Dart (Euphaea fraseri) and Rapacious Flangetail (Ictinogomphus rapax).
Larger dragonflies such as Epophthalmia vittata, Macromia irata and Duskhawkers were also seen actively foraging.
The workshop was co-led by Dr Dattaprasad Avinash Sawant and Dr Vivek Chandran. Dr Sawant, a physician and odonatologist, has over 15 scientific publications to his credit and serves as an editor at Odonata of India. Dr Chandran, who was recently awarded a doctorate for his research on the Odonates of Kerala's Kole wetlands, is a council member of the Society for Odonate Studies (SOS) and a co-author of new species descriptions from the Western Ghats.
Participants learnt how to identify Odonates using characteristics such as wing venation and abdominal patterns, and recorded behaviours such as territoriality, perching, hovering during mating, basking for thermoregulation, obelisk posture, and egg-laying, both endophytic (within plant tissue) and exophytic (on water or other surfaces).
Key sightings across habitats included 27 species from the outskirts of the Durga region, including Brown Midget, Lesser Bluewing, Long-banded Bluetail, Coorg Bamboo-tail and Malabar Torrent Dart.
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The Mala buffer zone recorded many interesting species like Pied Shadowdamsel, Red-spot Shadowdamsel, Coorg Bambootail, Malabar Torrent Dart, Shadowdancer and the rare Montane Forest Glory. From the Butterfly Park, about 24 species were documented, including Long-banded Bluetail, Lesser Bluewing, Orange-tailed Marsh Dart and frequent sightings of Brown Midget.
"This workshop helped expand the checklist of Odonates from the region while training the next generation of naturalists. Such programmes encourage keen observation and accurate documentation skills that are crucial for both ecological understanding and long-term conservation," Dr Sawant said.
Volunteers Raghavendra, Narendra, Afran, Nithin, and Abhijith provided vital support with field coordination, note-taking, and guiding participants during fieldwork.
