Abstract
Odonates are important biological control agents for the control of insect pests and insect disease vectors of medical and veterinary importance. The present study was conducted to evaluate the odonate fauna of Swat, Pakistan from March to October 2019. A total of 200 specimens of odonates were collected from diverse habitats. The collected specimens of the order Odonata belonged to 5 families, three families of suborder Anisoptera namely Libellulidae, Gomphidae and Aeshnidae while two families of suborder Zygoptera (Chlorocyphidae and Coenagrionidae). The specimens were categorized into 12 genera and 22 species. Libellulidae was the dominant family (n = 138) accounting for 69% of the odonate fauna. Orthetrum was the dominant genus (n = 73) of suborder Anisoptera accounting for 36.5% of the odonate fauna. The least dominant genera were Anax, Paragomphus and Rhyothemis (n = 5 each) accounting each for 2.5% of the odonate fauna. In Zygoptera, the dominant genus was Ceriagrion (12.5%) and the least dominant genus was Ischnura (6%). Pantala flavescens (Fabricius, 1798) was the most abundant odonate species in the study area recorded from all surveyed habitats. Shannon Diversity Index (H) was 2.988 and Simpson Diversity Index (D) was 0.95 for the collected odonate fauna. The highest abundance of Odonata was recorded in August, September and May while no odonate species were recorded in January, February, November and December. Lotic water bodies were the most suitable habitats with abundant odonate fauna. Anax immaculifrons (Rambur, 1842) was the largest sized odonate species having a wingspan of 53.2±1.63 mm and body length of 56.3 ± 0.4 mm. The present study shows the status of odonate fauna of Swat, Pakistan in diverse habitats and seasonsonal variation throughout the year. Further work is recommended to bridge the gaps in the existing literature.
Highlights
Anisoptera and Zygoptera (Odonata: Insecta) represent a diverse group of insects having 5740 described species worldwide (Johari and Jain, 2021)
Suborder Anisoptera was represented by families Gomphidae, Libellulidae and Aeshnidae
Libellulidae (Skimmers or perches) was the dominant family recorded from diverse habitats in the present study
Summary
Anisoptera (dragonflies) and Zygoptera (damselflies) (Odonata: Insecta) represent a diverse group of insects having 5740 described species worldwide (Johari and Jain, 2021). Odonates are beneficial insects and play an important role in pest management both as nymphs and adults (Trueman and Rowe, 2009; Ilahi et al, 2019). They are recognized by a long slender abdomen, large eyes, short antennae, and long membranous wings with beautifully colored bodies (Nair, 2011). The presence of Odonata on water shows its pollution-free status Odonates are predators both in the larval stage as well as adult stage; their larvae are voracious feeders and possess large retractable labium for capturing prey. The present study was aimed to evaluate the diversity of the suborders Anisoptera and Zygoptera of the order Odonata in Swat, Pakistan across diverse habitats and in different seasons of the year
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