Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2024 | 16(9): 25935–25938

 

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) 

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9260.16.9.25935-25938

#9260 | Received 04 July 2024 | Final received 03 August 2024 | Finally accepted 31 August 2024

 

 

Additional documentation of the Slender Skimmer Orthetrum sabina (Drury, 1770) preying on the Pied Paddy Skimmer Neurothemis tullia (Drury, 1773) in Nepal

 

Mahamad Sayab Miya 1  & Apeksha Chhetri 2

 

1 Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA.

2 Institute of Forestry, Pokhara Campus, Tribhuvan University, Pokhara 33700, Nepal.

1 mahamad.miya440@topper.wku.edu (corresponding author), 2 apeksha5747@gmail.com

 

 

Editor: Albert G. Orr, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia.        Date of publication: 26 September 2024 (online & print)

 

Citation: Miya, M.S. & A. Chhetri (2024). Additional documentation of the Slender Skimmer Orthetrum sabina (Drury, 1770) preying on the Pied Paddy Skimmer Neurothemis tullia (Drury, 1773) in Nepal. Journal of Threatened Taxa 16(9): 25935–25938. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9260.16.9.25935-25938

  

Copyright: © Miya & Chhetri 2024. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.

 

Funding: Environmental Education and Science (ENEDAS), Elsterstraße 33, 04109 Leipzig, Germany.

 

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

 

 

Abstract: Orthetrum sabina is one of the most common dragonflies found in Nepal, but its feeding behavior has not often been reported from there. An example of this species preying on Neurothemis tullia is reported from Maidi Lake, Nepal. This observation was made during a field survey of Odonata using direct observation along transects around the lake. It adds to our knowledge of the species’ feeding behavior, elaborating the previous findings and providing scope for further ecological studies on Odonata.

 

Keywords:  Dragonfly, feeding ecology, Green Marsh Hawk, Libellulidae, Maidi Lake, Odonata, predator.

 

 

Orthetrum sabina (Drury, 1770), commonly known as the Green Marsh Hawk or Slender Skimmer, is a medium-sized dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae. The male is medium-sized, greenish-yellow, with bold stripes on the thorax and a pied abdomen. The wings and abdomen have equal lengths of 30–36 mm, with black and reddish-brown spots on the wings, while the eyes are green-mottled with black (Fraser 1936). The female is similar in pattern to the male but differs in the shape of the abdomen. The length of the abdomen is 32–25 mm, while the wings are 31–35 mm. The wing spots and eyes are similar to those of males (Fraser 1936).

Orthetrum sabina has a vast range, being distributed in southern and eastern Asia, Australia, and Micronesia to northern Africa (Mitra 2020). It is widespread within its range and is categorized as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List (Mitra 2020). The species can be seen from an elevation of 0–2,300 m, around various water bodies such as slow-flowing and still water, including ponds, lakes, paddy fields, marshes, and irrigation ditches (Mitra 2020). It can also be seen perching away from waterbodies such as in gardens, on branches, twigs, rocks, and on the ground (Nair 2011). O. sabina shows noticeable adaptability to changes in climate and altitude (Fraser 1924). It tolerates high salt content and habitat disturbance or modification (Mitra 2020).

Orthetrum sabina is a voracious predator, feeding on a wide range of insects and even Odonata (including its own species) (Nair 2011). Recently, it was reported feeding on Neurothemis tullia in Sri Lanka (Gamage et al. 2023). Previously, Sharma & Oli (2020) mentioned that they encountered the species feeding on N. tullia in the Palpa District of Nepal but did not expand on this.

This paper presents O. sabina feeding on N. tullia Pied Paddy Skimmer, which elaborates on the evidence of the species’ feeding behavior.

 

Materials and Methods

The observation was made during the field survey of Odonata in Maidi Lake (one of the lakes in the lake clusters of Pokhara Valley and a Ramsar site) on 30 July 2022 (Image 1). The lake covers an area of 5 ha of water body and a watershed of 160.11 ha. Odonata data was collected by direct observation along transects (Ausden & Drake 2006). Three transects, 200 m each, were laid along the existing trails around the lake to collect data from the end of July to December 2022, once a month, totaling six replications (three other lakes were also surveyed during the project). Each transect was surveyed by walking fixed routes/transects; specimens were seen ahead and 5 m (2.5 m on either side of the transect) were noted (Ausden & Drake 2006; Miya et al. 2021). The study was conducted from 1000 h to 1500 h on sunny days (Pearce-Higgins & Chandler 2020; Batista et al. 2021). The individual feeding on N. tullia was photographed with a smartphone (Samsung Galaxy A10) and identified later with the help of field guides (Emiliyamma et al. 2005; Nair 2011). The site map was created using ArcMap 10.8.2, and Image 2 was created using CorelDRAW 9.

 

Results and Discussion

This paper illustrates O. sabina feeding on N. tullia (Image 2). Both species belong to the family Libellulidae. The O. sabina started to chew the N. tullia from the head, and continued below the body parts while holding it with its forelegs and perching on a herbaceous plant. It didn’t fly away even when we approached to take a photograph. Feeding lasted more than 15 mins and was observed about 3 m away from the water body (28.175°N & 84.083°E). O. sabina is known to be a predator that even feeds on its own species, and it is not uncommon for it to feed on other species. This particular observation adds to the numerous photographic records of the species preying on other libellulids on the internet. There are photographs in the iNaturalist of O. sabina feeding on its own species, recorded in Bharatpur, Nepal (Hazenberg 2018) and Indonesia (Jones 2017).

Previous studies have reported O. sabina also feeding on smaller Zygoptera (damselflies). This seems less common, presumably because they do not provide sufficient food for the effort. It was reported to feed on Ischnura senegalensis in western India (Fraser 1924) and Asiagrion hisopa in the Nilgiris, India (Fraser 1936). Similar behavior of preying on other Odonata has been reported in different locations in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Nepal. In their study, Gamage et al. (2023) noted that the species feeding on N. tullia in Sri Lanka was similar to our finding. Additionally, the Bird Ecology Study Group (2024) reported O. sabina feeding on Rhyothemis triangularis, Neurothemis fluctuans, and Acisoma panorpoides in Singapore, and on Neurothemis fulvia in India (Jose 2011). Another study by Larsen (1990) documented the species feeding on the Caprona ransonnettii potiphera butterfly in India. Similarly, a video on YouTube shows the species feeding on Rhyothemis variegata (Karle 2020). Prasad & Biswas (1980) and Thumboor (2017) found the species feeding on Acisoma panorpoides in West Bengal and Thrissur, India. Furthermore, Mitra (1999) observed the species feeding on Agriocnemis pygmaea and Ceriagrion coromandelianum in India. A study in Nepal reported Neurothemis tullia feeding on Ischnura rubilio, Brachythemis contaminata feeding on Ceriagrion coromandellianum, and Orthetrum pruinosum feeding on N. tullia (Sharma & Oli 2022). The observation of O. sabina praying on N. tullia was encountered during the ectoparasites study of dragonflies and damselflies from Palpa district, Nepal (Sharma & Oli 2020); however, the feeding activity is not highlighted or expanded. Previous literature and the current observation confirm the species’ diverse range of larger prey species, providing valuable information for further assessment of the species.

 

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References

 

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