EXPLORING THE DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF ODONATA FAUNA IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE HINDU KUSH RANGE, LOWER DIR, PAKISTAN - Ikram Ullah; Ahmed Zia; Durkhatoon Hayat; Shahida Rashied; Ikram Ilahi; Muhammad Inam; Sumera Aslam; Abdul Hakeem (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2026)
The ecologically diverse foothills of the Hindu Kush range have remained largely unexplored in taxonomic surveys. The current research aimed to explore the diversity and distribution of the Odonata fauna in the foothills of the Hindu Kush Mountain range within the district of Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Field visits were carried out at 35 localities across the study area in 2024. Specimens were collected using aerial nets and identified under a stereoscope using standard taxonomic keys, following the descriptions provided by Fraser (1933, 1934, 1936); Chaudhry (2010); Zia (2010). The fieldwork yielded a sum of 321 Anisoptera specimens, representing 26 species and subspecies across15 genera and 3 families. In addition, 72 Zygoptera specimens were recorded, representing 6 species and subspecies under 5 genera and 4 families. Detailed accounts are provided for every recorded species, including the valid name, sex ratio, locality with coordinates and elevation, collection date, previous records from Pakistan, global distribution, habitat description, and zoogeographic affiliation. The current study provided baseline knowledge regarding the Odonata fauna of the study area and revealed a substantial increase in recorded species richness from 11 to 32 species.
Keywords: journal article; Anisoptera; Hindu Kush range; Insect fauna; Odonata; Zygoptera