My fascination for insects grew when I studied dragonflies and damselflies. I share my love for insects through nature trails. By the end of the trail, participants’ eyes light up at the sight of a butterfly sipping nectar or a mantis preying. By Meehir Pawar.
Insects, despite being one of the most diverse and abundant animals, are often neglected. They are essential to our survival. If we look carefully, we can spot 10-15 species inside our homes! Their impact on the ecology is huge. They pollinate crops, enrich soils, and balance ecosystems. The loss of any insect group could disrupt the food web. I share my love for insects with participants of all ages through nature trails and workshops. Initially, they are interested in spotting large mammals, which are rare, especially when leading a group in Mumbai’s forest. But by the end, their excitement shifts to butterflies sipping nectar or a mantis preying.
Male and female trumpet tail dragonflies. Photo: Rison Thumboor/CC-BY-2.0.
My fascination for insects deepened when I began studying odonates – dragonflies and damselflies. Their ancestors appeared around 320 million years ago, during the late Carboniferous period, and were as big as the crow. Odonates have remarkable hunting skills. Their aquatic larvae (nymphs) have a modified lower jaw to catch prey such as tadpoles, mosquito larvae, and even small fish. As adults, odonates are excellent aerial predators,
with a hunting success rate of nearly 97 per cent; compared to the tiger’s five per cent! They feed on various insects, including mosquitoes, butterflies, moths and sometimes even others of their same form. They are, in turn, prey to insectivorous plants and animals.
A tributary of Alibag’s Amba river, which supports a rich density of odonates. Photo: Meehir Pawar.
My hometown, Alibag, became the stage for my master’s research in entomology. Despite being near a popular tourist destination, its semi-urban and agricultural areas were relatively unexplored for odonate diversity. Over a year, I documented 26 species, spending long days by waterbodies or fields, scanning for wings skimming over ponds.
Most odonates can be identified based on their colouration and size using field guides. Typically, males are brightly coloured, while females are duller, and some subadult males resemble females. It is challenging to identify certain odonates solely by colouration. For these, I used a hand net to catch individuals, photographed their wings for closer inspection, and safely released them after. The unique venation patterns on their wings are critical for species identification and are analysed using systematic identification keys. Curious locals often asked why I was chasing these flying insects, giving me an excellent opportunity to explain their ecological significance.
Venation patterns on odonate wings are critical for species identification. Photo: John Tann/CC-BY-2.0.
Odonates are sensitive to habitat disturbances. Even slight changes in water quality affects species diversity and population, as the egg and nymph stages occur in water. As important ecological indicators, they thrive in better water quality and denser vegetation. Pollution, particularly industrial or residential sewage, is a major threat to odonates. Interestingly, some species, such as the ditch jewel dragonfly, have adapted to polluted water, and are indicators of polluted environments, and granite ghosts have adapted to perch on granite surfaces and lay eggs in cement water tanks.
Oodles of enthusiasm and a magnifying glass are useful to watch insects. Photo: Public Domain/Rawpixel.
While odonates are my primary focus, I am fascinated with all insects. Butterflies, beetles, and ants captivate me too. Studying insects is increasingly important as climate change is impacting their diversity, habitat, reproduction, and more.
Studying these insects requires patience and attention to detail. A rustle in the undergrowth or a speck on a tree trunk, these subtle clues often lead to remarkable finds. For example, flipping a leaf might reveal a mantis in prayer-like stillness. My toolkit includes a pocket magnifying glass, a mobile macro lens, and the thrill of uncovering nature’s secrets.
Along with odonates, Meehir is also drawn to other insects such as butterflies and moths. Photo: Saurabh Sawant/Sanctuary Photolibrary.
As I continue my journey with these tiny titans, I hope to inspire others to appreciate insects. The more we understand them, the better we can protect the web of life they sustain.
Meehir Pawar, Sanctuary Young Naturalist 2024 awardee, is a Mumbai-based entomologist and a freelance naturalist with a deep love for odonates and ecology. You can find him on Instagram at diplacodes_trivialis, or on LinkedIn at @meehirpawar.