NOTE ZOOS' PRINT JOURNAL 15(7): 301-303 Pradesh, , Meghalaya, Punjab, Tripura, , Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.

ODONATA FROM , Sub Family: Ischnurinae. TAMIL NADU, SOUTHERN 2. Ischnura delicata (Hagen) Material Examined: 1 male and 1 female, 7.ii.2000, Courtallam Falls; 2 male and 4 females, 5.ii.2000, Gunder Dam. Muhammed Jafer Palot and V.P. Soniya Remarks: Very Common in the grasslands along with Agriocnemis pygmae. Zoological Survey of India, Freshwater Biological Station, 1-1-300/B, Distribution: Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh Ashok Nagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500020, India. Sub Family: Agriocnemidinae. 3. Agriocnemis pygmae (Ramb.) Material Examined: 2 males, 5.ii.2000, Gundar Dam. Remarks: Abundant along the grasslands adjacent to the small stream flowing in to the Gundar Dam. During our field trip on mosquito fauna survey to southern Tamil Distribution: This most extensively distributed Odonata occurs Nadu, we made a collection of odonates from Courtallam and its in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, adjoining areas from 4-8 February 2000. Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tripura, Tamil Courtallam (Kuttralam) is a small town situated in the foothills of Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Andaman and Nicobar (8050' and 900' N. and 77010' and 77020' E.), at an Islands. elevation of about 120 m., in Taluk of Thirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu State. It is a spur on the eastern side of the Family: Platycnemididae Western Ghats facing the Aryankavu Pass (Senkottai Pass) and Sub Family: Platycnemidinae is bounded by Kulathupuzha Reserve Forests of Kerala State 4. Copera vittata deccanensis Laidlaw. on the western side. The area is traversed by three small rivers Material Examined: 1male and 1 female, 7.ii.2000, Courtallam Falls. - Chittar, Aindalai Aruvi, Pazhayamkuttalam Aruvi and their Remarks: Rare. The pair was caught very near to Courtallam tributaries. In the course of their descent from the mountain Falls from a dampy area. ranges these rivers present several cascades and waterfalls Distribution: Endemic to Western Ghats. adding to the natural beauty few kilometers northeast of Thirunelveli Town and enter the Gulf of Mannar near Tuticorin. Super Family: Lestoidae Family: Lestidae The Courtallam area gets the benefit of both the south-west and Sub Family: Lestinae. north-east monsoon, hence the vegetation is rich and varying 5. Lestes elata Hagen. with tropical wet evergreen forests in the upper reaches of the Material Examined: 1 female, 7.ii.2000, Courtallam Falls. surrounding hills and scrub jungles interspersed with degraded Remarks: Rarely observed down below the Courtallam Falls. patches of decidous forests in the lower foot hills. Distribution: Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Orissa.

A total of 14 species of Odonata under four families and 12 Sub Order: Anisoptera genera were collected and identified during the survey. A Super Family: Libelluloidae detailed species account along with field notes and distributional Family: Libellulidae records (Mitra, 1999) is given below. The classification followed Sub Family Libellulinae. is of Fraser (1933-36; 1957), and Prasad and Varshney (1995). 6. Orthetrum glaucum (Brauer) Material Examined: 2 males, 7.ii.2000, Five Falls. Species Account Remarks: Observed over the rocky streams near Five Falls. Sub Order: Zygoptera Distribution: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Super Family: Coenagrionoidea Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Family: Coenagrionidae Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Sub Family: Pseudagrioninae. Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. 1. Ceriagrion coromandelianum (Fabr.) Remarks: Very common along the grassy banks of Gundar Dam. 7. Orthetrum sabina sabina (Drury) Distribution: Extensively found through out India, in Andhra Material Examined: 1 male and 1 female, 6.ii.2000, Gundar Dam; Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Himachal 1 male and 1 female, 5.ii.2000, Vallam. Remarks: Common throughout the survey. Received on 6 March 2000 Accepted on 10 June 2000 Distribution: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar,

ZOOS' PRINT JOURNAL Volume XV Number 7 July 2000 (RNI 1:10) 301 Odonata from Courtallam, Tamil Nadu, southern India M. Jafer Palot and V.P. Soniya 25' 0 77 T o Thirunelveli T o Thirunelveli 20' 0 77 T enkasi Old Courtallam Rock Hills

Rama Nadi Map of Courtallam, Tamil Nadu Shembakedi Falls Honey Falls Tiger Falls 15' 0 77 Senkottai Vaithamalai T o Quilon 2 km. 1 Kerala State State Boundary Reserve Forest Boundary Rivers 0 55' 0 Courtallam, Tamil Nadu 10' 8 0 77

302 ZOOS' PRINT JOURNAL Volume XV Number 7 July 2000 (RNI 1:10) Odonata from Courtallam, Tamil Nadu, southern India M. Jafer Palot and V.P. Soniya

Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Remarks: Rare. The species was caught from the top of the falls, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, perched on a rock. Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Distribution: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Sub Family: Sympetrinae. Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar pradesh and West Bengal. 8. Brachythemis contaminata (Fabr.) Remarks: Common. Found along the banks of a weed infested 13. Trithemis festiva (Ramb.) canal near Courtallam Town. Material Examined: 1 male, 7.ii.2000, Five Falls. Distribution: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Remarks: Rare. Territorial fights with Orthetrum glaucum Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, observed near the rocky boulders of the falls. Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Distribution: Andhra pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Pradesh, West Bengal, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tripura, Tamil 9. Bradinopyga geminata (Ramb.) Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Remarks: Common. Many observed near the rocky pools at Gundar Dam and one pair was seen frequenting the cemented Sub Family: Trameinae tank just behind the P.W.D. Guest House, Courtallam. 14. Pantala flavescens (Fabr.) Distribution: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Remarks: Very common. Swarms of these insects observed near Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Courtallam guest house and other open spaces. Pradesh, West Bengal, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands Distribution: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, 10. Crocothemis servilia servilia (Drury) Kerala, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Material Examined: 1 female, 5.ii.2000, Gundar Dam. Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Andaman and Remarks: Common. Fairly distributed over the study area. Nicobar Islands. Distribution: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Acknowledgements Meghalaya, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, The authors are thankful to Director, Zoological Survey of India Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West and Officer-in-Charge, Zoological Survey of India Freshwater Bengal. Biological Station, for various facilities. Thanks are also due to Dr. K. Ilango, leader of the survey party for the help rendered. 11. Diplacoides trivialis (Ramb.) Material Examined: 1 male, 6.ii.2000, Courtallam. References Remarks: Fairly common Fraser, F.C. (1933-36). The Fauna of British India Including Ceylon Distribution: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, and Burma. Odonata. Vol.1-3. Taylor and Francis, London. Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Fraser, F.C. (1957). A re-classification of order Odonata. Rec. Zool. Meghalaya, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Soc. N.S.W. Hand book No. 12. Mitra, T.R. (1999). Geographical distribution and zoogeography of Orissa, Punjab, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odonata (Insecta) of Meghalaya, India. Rec. Zool. Surv. India. Occ. and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Pap. No. 170: 1-63. Prasad, M. and R.K. Varshney (1995). A checklist of the odonata of 12. Trithemis aurora (Burmeister) India including data on larval studies. Oriental Insects 29: 385-428. Material Examined: 1 male, 6.ii.2000, Courtallam Falls.

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