Over 50 species of dragonflies and damselflies were identified on the first day of a two-day survey in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Saturday. This is the first time such a survey has been conducted in the reserve.
A team of five members, including students from Ooty Arts and Science College and Mettupalayam Research Institute, along with an Odonata expert, is involved in the survey. They have counted 37 forests so far and identified over 50 species of Odonata.
The Tamil Nadu forest department is conducting this survey as part of its mission to record the biodiversity of the forest. The department has already completed synchronized bird and vulture surveys, as well as an elephant population count. A tiger census will also be conducted soon.
“Some Odonata species live only in polluted water, so the identification of these species will give us a clear picture of the water quality in MTR,” said C. Vidya, Deputy Director of MTR. “We have lifted 105 samples from water sources and sent them to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University for testing. We will correlate the results, which will be received in mid-November.”