Six odonate species discovered in Silent Valley

Six caller taxon of dragonflies and damselflies were recovered successful Silent Valley National Park during an odonate survey held from October 10 to 12. The survey, jointly held by Silent Valley National Park and the Society for Odonate Studies (SOS), recorded the increasing richness of the park’s pristine ecosystem.

The three-day survey recorded 83 taxon of odonates successful the park, including the six caller species. With the caller records, the full fig of known odonate taxon successful the Silent Valley National Park has accrued from 103 to 109.

The recently recorded taxon are Long Legged Clubtail (Merogomphus longistigma), Fraser’s Torrent Hawk (Macromia irata), Dark Daggerhead (Macromidia donaldi), Blue-necked Reedtail (Protosticta mortoni), Wayanad Torrent Dart (Euphaea wayanadensis), and Black and Yellow Bambootail (Elattoneura tetrica).

“These caller additions not lone enrich the park’s odonate diversity, but besides item the beingness of varied microhabitats susceptible of supporting 109 species,” said odonate adept Sujith V. Gopalan.

Freshwater quality

Three Euphaea taxon (Euphaea dispar, E. fraseri, and E. wayanadensis) were recorded during the survey. Each of these taxon is simply a known indicator of freshwater quality, representing circumstantial altitudinal and microhabitat ranges, thereby confirming the fantabulous ecological integrity of the park’s freshwater streams, Dr. Gopalan said.

Species from the genus Protosticta (P. mortoni, P. gravelyi) and Saffron Reedtail (Indosticta deccanensis) further emphasise the park’s relation arsenic a refuge for Western Ghats endemics babelike connected highly localised habitats.

Other notable recordings see Pale-spotted Bambootail (Caconeura gomphoides), restricted to precocious elevations of the park, and different uncommon endemics specified arsenic Ruby-tailed Hawklet (Epithemis mariae), Myristica Bambootail (Phylloneura westermanni), Malabar Bambootail (Melanoneura bilineata).

“Odonates are indicators of ecosystem health, and studying their colonisation presumption tin supply invaluable insights into the wide wellness of the habitats they represent,” said Dr. Gopalan.

He said the transect surveys conducted on predetermined routes yielded encouraging results. These transect information volition beryllium further analysed and compared with erstwhile surveys to deduce a much elaborate knowing of the ecosystem’s dynamics and trends implicit time.

37 volunteers

This was the 4th odonate survey successful Silent Valley since 2019. Experts said 1 much survey would beryllium conducted adjacent twelvemonth arsenic portion of a deeper study.

The survey was held crossed 12 campsites involving 37 volunteers and wood staff.

Silent Valley Wildlife Warden Arulselvan K. inaugurated the survey. Assistant Wildlife Wardens Vishnu V.S. and N. Ganesan spoke. Apart from Dr. Gopalan, odonate experts Vivek Chandran, Mohammed Sherif, Renjith Jacob Mathews and Reji Chandran led the survey.