Having flown around the Earth for 300 million years, dragonflies remind us to take time to reconnect with our strength, courage and happiness. The popular anonymous quote couldn't have been truer in the context of Mumbai, which features prominently in the first-ever study of 193 known dragonfly and damselfly species found in the Western Ghats, of the total 488 that exist in India, and 6,256 all over the globe.The Atlas of Odonata (Insecta) of the Western Ghats ('2,180), published by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), is a colourful compendium, which uses GIS tools to reiterate the need to conserve the 74 species that are endemic to the Ghats, and Mumbai's freshwater bodies that form crucial hubs for their growth.

The research took 10 years and involved five fauna experts, who captured the dragonflies on hi-resolution macro and micro lens; leading to a detailed Odonata map of the distinct sections of the 1600 km long mountain range along the west coast of India. The findings reiterate the need for conserving the acutely threatened wetlands, including ponds, lakes, marshes and reservoirs, where the aquatic agile flier insects thrive and procreate.