~ 1051 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2021; 9(1): 1051-1057 E-ISSN: 2320-7078 P-ISSN: 2349-6800 www.entomoljournal.com JEZS 2021; 9(1): 1051-1057 © 2021 JEZS Received: 07-11-2020 Accepted: 09-12-2020 Sankar Thampuran MV Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala, India Udaya Kumar K College of Forestry, Sirsi, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka, India Nagaraj Shastri Department of Entomology, GKVK, Bangalore, Karnataka, India Bharath S College of Forestry, Sirsi, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka, India Corresponding Author: Sankar Thampuran MV Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala, India A preliminary study on diversity status of Odonates in and around college of forestry Campus, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka, India Sankar Thampuran MV, Udaya Kumar K, Nagaraj Shastri and Bharath S DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/j.ento.2021.v9.i1o.8707 Abstract Odonata is an insect order with two sub orders, Zygoptera and Anisoptera. They are an amazing insect group with an amphibious life cycle. This makes them an important component of freshwater ecosystems and indicators of ecosystem health. The present study was an attempt made to document and analyse the odonate diversity of College of Forestry Sirsi campus, a 14-ha site in Sirsi, Karnataka, India. The study was done in the field where individual observations were identified and recorded with the help of appropriate field guides. A total of 32 odonate species, i.e., 22 dragonflies and 10 damselflies belonging to 7 families were observed in the study area. Within this diversity, a higher proportion of families Libellulidae and Coenagrionidae within orders Anisoptera and Zygoptera respectively was found. This presence of generalists more than specialists might be due to higher proportion of anthropogenic disturbances in the study site. Keywords: Odonata, diversity, zygoptera, anisoptera Introduction The insect order Odonata is a group of flying insects divided into three sub orders i.e. Zygoptera, Anisoptera and Anisozygoptera of which Anisoptera (dragonflies) and Zygoptera (damselflies) are the main sub orders [1, 2] . Dragonflies are generally larger and alight with wings held in horizontal plane at rest while the latter are smaller and slender bodied with their wings held over the abdomen [1] . Having evolved during the carboniferous period, with their short lifespan and amphibious life history, odonates are a much interesting group of insects [3, 4] . The amphibious life makes them an integral part of freshwater ecosystems. There are 5952 species of odonates around the globe and the number can still increase with nearly a 1000 more species expected to be still discovered [2, 5] . India is home to 474 species in 142 genera and 18 families of which Western Ghats have 174 species of odonates with 69 endemics [7, 8] . Their peculiar ecology makes them susceptible to the subtle changes in ecosystems. Odonata forms a flagship taxon of freshwater ecosystems [9] . Anthropogenic disturbances are today causing damage to ecosystem health and odonate populations, numerous studies have shown the impact of human induces changes on odonate populations making them the perfect model of indicator groups for ecological surveys [10-13] . This study attempts to understand the odonate diversity in College of Forestry Campus, located in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India and to derive possible inferences on the ecosystem health of the locality. Materials and Methods Study area The study site, College of Forestry Sirsi campus is 14 ha of land surrounded by tropical moist deciduous forests, Acacia auriculiformis plantations and human habitat areas. Located at an elevation of 600 m above mean sea level, the area is a fragmented landscape of tree lots, paddy fields and small ponds. The presence of ponds, paddy fields and adjoining forests are expected to influence the presence and diversity of odonates in the campus. The campus is located at coordinates 14.61°95‘N 74.83°54‘E and receives annual rainfall between 200 and 250 cm, primarily from the southwest monsoon winds.