Odonata Species:
The survey recorded 143 odonata species—76 dragonflies and 67 damselflies—of which 40 were endemic to the Western Ghats.
- Odonata, popularly known as dragonflies and damselflies are primarily associated with wetlands and surrounding landscape.
- The order Odonata is one of the ancient groups of insects.
- Odonata is an insect order consisting of three groups: Anisoptera (which includes dragonflies), Zygoptera (which includes damselflies), and Anisozygoptera (a relict group represented by only two living species).
- They are found in a variety of habitats, such as freshwater environments like ponds, rivers, and lakes.
- They are globally distributed, from the tropics, where they are most numerous and varied, to the boreal forests of Siberia and North America.
- They are also found throughout the Southern Hemisphere, with the exception of Antarctica.
- Features:
- Behaviour: Large, active by day, and often strikingly coloured, they are usually seen flying near water.
- Diet: Adult odonates are voracious predators, as are the aquatic larvae.
