“Diversity And Seasonal Occurrence of Odonata Along the Gomati River at PSGVPMS ASC College Campus, Maharashtra, India.”

Odonata, which includes dragonflies and damselflies, are mainly linked to freshwater ecosystems. Their life cycle consists of an aquatic immature phase and an adult stage that is largely terrestrial. Adults are frequently found near rivers, streams, ponds, marshes, reservoirs, wetlands, and other freshwater environments. Larval and adult odonates are both predatory and hold significant roles in aquatic and terrestrial food webs.
Odonates are extensively employed in freshwater ecological research, as their distribution and community composition are shaped by habitat structure, water availability, aquatic vegetation, riparian vegetation, and other environmental factors. Because they are sensitive to habitat alteration, they serve as valuable organisms for tracking changes in freshwater ecosystems (Kulkarni & Subramanian, 2013).
The diversity and distribution of Odonata are shaped by multiple environmental factors, such as water permanence, flow characteristics, vegetation structure, availability of breeding sites, surrounding land use, and climatic conditions. Certain species are closely tied to flowing water, while others are typically found in stagnant or slow-moving water bodies. Consequently, habitat heterogeneity can sustain a wider range of odonate species.
India hosts a rich Odonata fauna spread across a broad array of biogeographic regions. Maharashtra, specifically, encompasses varied freshwater and terrestrial habitats that sustain considerable odonate diversity. Koparde and Tiple (2015) reported 134 Odonata species from 70 genera and 11 families in Maharashtra, illustrating the order's substantial diversity within the state.
North Maharashtra also harbors diverse odonate assemblages. Sawarkar (2020) documented 52 species from 29 genera and six families across different habitats of Chalisgaon, North Maharashtra. The study recorded 35 Anisoptera and 17 Zygoptera species and found high diversity in agro-forest habitats linked to aquatic bodies and suitable breeding environments.
The Gomati River is a significant tributary of the Tapi River system in northern Maharashtra. The river and its adjoining riparian habitats offer a mix of aquatic and terrestrial environments that could potentially sustain diverse Odonata communities. However, localized information on Odonata diversity around the PSGVPMS ASC College Campus at Lonkheda, Shahada, is scarce.
Thus, the present study was carried out to document the Odonata diversity of the Gomati River area, determine family, genus, and suborder composition, record the occurrence of dragonflies and damselflies, and provide baseline information for future ecological monitoring and conservation studies.

Odonata; dragonflies; damselflies; Gomai River; Shahada; Nandurbar; Maharashtra; Libellulidae; freshwater biodiversity; riparian habitat; Tapi River basin.

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