A preliminary assessment of Odonata (dragonflies & damselflies) across an elevation gradient – insights from Shiwaliks to Alpines, northwestern Himalaya, India

Abstract

Understanding the species distribution and richness along an environmental gradient helps identify hotspots and prioritize conservation efforts at landscape scale. This is more effective for the species that are indicators of environmental change, such as odonates. As the information about the distribution of this group of insects is scarce in Jammu & Kashmir, their documentation assumes a greater significance.  Here, we present a checklist of odonate species from 23 sites across diverse landscapes in subtropical, temperate, and alpine ecosystems over an elevational gradient of 3,700 m in Jammu division. We recorded 63 species from 39 genera and 11 families, four Anisoptera and seven Zygoptera. The most represented families were Libellulidae (15 genera & 29 species) and Coenagrionidae (five genera & 10 species). The preliminary surveys resulted in addition of 24 new species to the Odanata fauna of Jammu & Kashmir, including three new to the northwestern Himalaya. The study underlines that even opportunistic records are useful in understanding the distribution range and delineating the potential habitats of odonates. The study calls for intensive odonate surveys to better understand their distribution and ecology in hitherto less explored region in the northwestern Himalaya.