Dragonflies and Damselflies (Insecta, Odonata) from the western region of Nepal with new records of four species

Abstract

Dragonflies and damselflies are bioindicator species belonging to the class Insecta. The research was conducted in the Karnali River basin from April to early October 2022 to contribute and update the Odonata checklist of Nepal including documenting regional new species. From the odonatological survey, four species viz., Aristocypha spuria Selys, 1879, Pseudocopera ciliata (Selys, 1863), Aciagrion occidentale Laidlaw, 1919 and Zyxomma petiolatum Rambur, 1842 were recorded for the first time from Nepal. Besides these, Copera marginipes (Rambur, 1842), Copera vittata (Selys, 1863), Prodasineura autumnalis (Fraser, 1922), Agriocnemis clauseni Fraser, 1992, Ceriagrion cerinorubellum (Brauer, 1865), Cephalaeschna viridifrons (Fraser, 1923), Gynacantha incisura Fraser, 1935, Gynacanthaeschna sikkima (Karsch, 1891), Lamelligomphus risi (Fraser, 1922), Scalmogomphus bistrigatus (Hagen in Selys, 1854), Rhodothemis rufa (Rambur, 1842), Tetrathemis platyptera Selys, 1868 and Urothemis signata signata (Rambur, 1862) were newly recorded for western region of Nepal.

Keywords

• anisoptera
• distribution
• diversity
• wetlands
• zygoptera