Diversity of Dragonflies and Damselflies at Chhatri Lake Region, Amravati, Maharashtra (India)

             The Dragonflies and damselflies are the prevalent insects which are flying over forests, meadows, lakes and streams and are collectively known as odonates. About 6000 species are distributed all over the world. India has more than 500 known species and about 134 species are seen in Maharashtra. Damselflies are found near freshwater habitats. The insects Dragonflies and damselflies are able to eat hundreds of mosquito larvae in a day. They are an important part of the aquatic ecological food chain. These insects are also the prey for various birds and amphibians. The objective of the study is to determine the number and distribution of Odonates in the region. A field survey is done during July to November, 2022. In the survey, Dragonflies and Damselflies species are observed. Three species of Damselflies and four dragonfly species are observed during the survey. The Dragonflies species of family Libellulidae and species of Damselflies of family Coenagrionidae are seen in abundance in the region. There is need for the conservation of the species, these are used as biological indicators. They are used as live pest control as they are carnivorous and agile hunters. Species can be conserved by avoiding indiscriminate use of pesticides. Biodiversity protection and conservation is very important for sustainable development of a region or a country.