Nepal Odonata: North Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu Valley - Shiva Puri

A view of Kathmandu looking northeast - toward Shiva Puri.

Around the Valley
Kathmandu sits in a bowl surrounded by the Mahabharata or Lower Himalaya range on the south and the foothills of the Himalayas in the north. On the north side of the valley is the Shiva Puri Nagarjun National Park. The easternmost entrance to the park is above a village called Sundarijal. The road follows first the Bagmati River and later the Nagmati River up to the Dhaap wetland (2100m). The highest peaks in the Kathmandu valley are Shiva Puri (2732m) to the north and Phulchowki (2795) to the south. Two rivers flow through the valley that originates in the Shiva Puri range, the Bisnumati, and Bagmati Rivers. Unfortunately, both the Bisnumati and Bagmati Rivers have been polluted with rubbish and sewage as they travel through the city and no longer hold anything living. But the upper regions near the sources are still clean.

Bagmati River as it leaves the park and flows past Sundarijal.

Dhaap Wetland - 2100m

Dhaap is the feed source for the rivers in the valley below and has been proposed as a dam site by Asia Development Bank. This project will change the area dramatically and possibly endanger many species of Odonata including the relict species Epiophlebia laidlawi, which has a larval life span of 7 to 9 years. The Nagmati River catches the flow from Dhapp at 2100m this flows into the Bagmati at about 1600m. The larvae of Epiophlebia live in the small riffles where the river runs over stones. If the water supply is disturbed this relict species would disappear from the valley. The project started in 2017 and by May 2018 the wetland area had been altered beyond recovery. The purpose of the project is to clean the sewage from the Bagmati below in the Kathmandu Valley.

Above is Dhaap in 2017, and below is Dhaap in 2018

The road to Dhaap has been altered it no longer follows the Nagmati River, and this is probably a good reason why the Nagmati River is still ok. After a recent trip to the Nagmati River, it is in good shape despite the extensive excavations above on Dhaap. In one place, where Dhaap water flows into the Nagmati, the water was more turbid but it was quickly changing to clear. The usual Calopterygidaes like Neurobasis chinensis and Caliphea confuse are found sitting on stones in the water Megalestes major hang from branches over the vegetated sides of the streams. Plants, birds, butterflies, and dragonflies are easily seen as you walk or drive the road toward Dhaap and Chisapani. Animals are more difficult to find but many are living in the lush jungle.

Zygoptera

Many of the species found in Shiva Puri on the north side of the Kathmandu Valley are also found in the Godavari blog where more explanations are given. I will focus more on the high-elevation species that I photographed in Shiva Puri National Park and along the western side of Shiva Puri on the Trisuli-Nuwakot Road.

Calopterygidae

Caliphaea confusa

Hagen in Selys 1859

Elevation 700 -2000m

Found throughout the Himalayan Mid-hill region and up into Tibet and NE India. This one is in the Godavari Blog. It seems to appear early when the weather warms up depending on the elevation. Usually, April to June is the best time to find it on slow seepages and small streams.

Synlestidae

Megalestes major

(Selys 1862)

Elevation 1000 - 3000m

Along the forested edges of the Nagmati River, a male Megalestes major had a large dinner to eat. They are usually dangling over small streams from low branches. Megalestes are found in Northwest India, Nepal, Bhutan, and North East India.

Euphaeidae

Bayadera indica

(Selys 1853)

Elevation 800 - 1800m

Bayadera has three species in Nepal. They are B. indica, B. hyalina (India), and B. longicauda (Sikkim). B indica is found in many stream locations in Nepal. They are found along mid-hill streams. It usually rests on stones or other things protruding from the water. It is found in other Himalayan areas.

Anisopleura lestoides

Selys 1853

Elevation 700 - 2000m

Abdomen length 36-38mm

Found in the Himalayas, from NW India, Nepal, and NE India. It is also in Bhutan. This one is found on running streams sitting on stones. It is fairly common when found in the right habitat. They are very brightly colored as juveniles but change to a pruinose blue after some aging. These photos were from the north and west sides of the Valley and in Lamjung.

Lestidae

Indolestes cyaneus

(Selys 1862)

Elevation 800 - 3500m

During breeding season, a tandem male top, and female bottom insert eggs into the stem of a water plant. The juvenile coloration is very dull compared to the lovely blue of the adult. In October Indolestes cyaneus appears in the teneral form.

Gomphidae

There are several large Anisoptera species at higher elevations in the park. Many of these have not been photographed as they fly above the trees. Only a few are found at stream level when laying eggs, mating, or hunting.

Anisogomphus bivittatus Selys 1854

Kathmandu Valley

This species was sitting on a stone in the river at the entrance to Shiva Puri National Park. This species is also seen on the opposite side of the valley near Lakuri Bhanjyang and below in Godavari at about 1600m.

Macromiidae

Macromia moorei
Selys 1874

Found in Himalayan countries from about 1600m up to 2000m. One female, I found in our garden in Godavari. Another was causing up and down the Bagmati River near the park entrance. Another was clinging to weeds on the way up Pulchowki Mountain.

Family Cordulegastridae

Watanabeopetalia atkinsoni
(Selys 1878)
Elevation 1000 - 2500m
Abdomen Length 55-58mm

Distribution is from the Himalayan region. Records exist at locations in NE India and Nepal. This female was flying over a stream at 1900m ovipositing into the stream. The early egg-laying was probably timed to the start of the rains. I netted her for the photos then let her go. Fraser mentions seeing this species in Darjeeling, and locations in Bengal and Punjab. Previously called Chlorogomphus atkinsoni.

Neallogaster ornata
Asahina 1982
Elevation 1500 - 2700m
Abdomen Length 52mm

Walking along the road on the northwest side of Shiva Puri, a large dragonfly went into the bushes in front of me, Neallogaster ornata, first a female landed then the male followed landing quite the female. Neallogaster ornata was an exciting find. This was in May at about 1900m close to the Shiva Puri Village resort.

Family Aeshnidae

Polycanthagyna erythromelas
(MacLachlan, 1895)
Elevation 1300 -2300m
Abdomen 67mm

This one is fairly common at higher elevations. The females oviposit into muddy edges of ponds and streams. The females are very different from the males and are usually the ones you see flying at dusk and ovipositing into the mossy edges of small ponds. They fly at dusk, usually cleaning up mosquitos and gnats. It is known from Pakistan, India, China, and Thailand.

Cephalaeschna acutifrons

(Martin, 1921)

Elevation

Abdomen length 50mm

The ID on this one might be changed at some point, but for now, I believe this is C. acuitifrons. The location is the same for C. viridifrons, but this one was flying over the Nagmati stream near where I found W. atkinsoni. I hesitated to keep it as a specimen but as there was only one there at the time I couldn't remove it from the area. I might have made a better determination and it could be C. sp.nov. According to Asahina (1983), this doesn't fit the determination for C. acutifrons exactly and Asahina suggested there might be a hybridization between C. acutifrons and virdifrons. I would be more inclined to recognize it as a Cephalaeschna sp. nov.

Male

Cephalaeschna viridifrons

(Fraser, 1922)
Elevation 1800- 3000m
Abdomen Length 45mm

Flying low over the road and beside the stream at about 4pm was a Cephalaescha. This is one that Asahina,1955 lists from the area of Shiva Puri. Both males and females had the same behavior flying just above my head. At an elevation of 1900m.

Cephalaeschna viridifrons - male above, female below.

Aeshnidae

Anax nigrofasciatus
Fraser 1935
Elevation 1000-2400m
Abdomen 53mm

This species was in full reproduction in May. In early spring Dhaap turns into a breeding center. Many Odonates collect here to mate and oviposit and some are also hatching. This one is also found in the Godavari wetlands. The large Anax nigrofasciatus nigrolineata was emerging, ovipositing, and mating. Larvae were stacked up on sticks where they dried. Sadly, Dhaap was destroyed by earth-moving equipment in 2017.

Gynacantha incisura
Fraser 1935
Elevation 800 - 1800m

Found in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding hills. A mating pair was found in the hills southeast of the city on the way to Lakuri Bhanjyang. The female below was resting on a tree before the male came and mating started.

Aeshna petalura

Martin, 1909

Elevation above 200m

Abdomen length 49mm

Location Shiva Puri and Phuchowki

Below are two photos of females - more are in the Aeshna genus section. The larvae were hatching and many exuviae were on the plants surrounding a small pond near the top of Phulchowki Peak at about 2680m. They were hatching in June and will continue to hatch and mate through August and September when the final ovipositing will take place in October.

Libellulidae

Sympetrum hypomelas
(Selys, 1884)
Elevation 1500-3600m
Abdomen Length 25-26mm

This one was in full reproduction at Dhaap in May. The grassy edges of the lake were full of them drying their newly opened wings in the sun while beside them others were mating and ovipositing. I have found them breeding in a wetland in Upper Mustang above 3000m. It is very similar to S. orientale but it differs by markings on the thorax and shape of genitalia. It is found in NE India, NW India, Nepal, Bhutan and possibly other locations along the Himalayas.

Sympetrum striolatum commixtum
(Selys 1884)
Elevation 1500- 3800m
Abdomen Length 28-30mm

The identification for this one is a count of the antinodal index - there are 7 1/2 cells in the forewings. The anal appendages are red, tipped black, and a few black markings on the dorsum of segments 8, 9, and 10. It is a high-altitude wetland species. Several photos were taken in Upper Mustang at 3800m. The distribution is narrower than its two relatives.