ABOUT US: THE ODONATA OF INDIA TEAM

  • Shantanu Joshi: I am interested in ecology, taxonomy and biogeography of odonates. I completed by Bachelor's in Science from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai after which I worked at National Centre for Biological Sciences with Deepa Agashe's Adaptation Lab to study polymorphism in Agriocnemis pygmaea. I recently finished Master's in WIldlife Biology, Conservation and Management from Bhavan's College, Mumbai. I am a Curator of order Odonata at the Museum and Field Stations Facility at NCBS, Bengaluru. Email: shantanu@ifoundbutterflies.org.
  • Prosenjit Dawn: I am a teacher by profession, an entomologist and taxonomist by training. My primary interests are in ecology, wildlife conservation, Evolution and animal behaviour. I am pursuing my PhD in Odonatology from University of Calcutta and my specialization is in larval taxonomy and ecology of Indian Odonates. I used to be a research fellow in Zoological Survey of India and worked in different places of Central and Eastern Indian landscapes. Presently I am working on compilation of Larval taxonomic data of Indian Odonates and would love to collaborate in this context. You can email me to know more.
  • Dattaprasad Sawant: I am a Doctor by profession and graduated from Grant Govt Medical College & Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai. My hometown is Devgad, a small, beautiful town along the coastline of Sindhudurg District. I have observed butterflies and dragonflies since I was little but started taking an interest in them since 2013. I am self taught photographer, which paved my way into the world of odonate, that has now become more of a scientific study than just mere observations. Currently I am working on documenting biodiversity of Lepidoptera & Odonates of Devgad and nearby area. For more information email me.
  • Subramanian KA: I am an aquatic entomologist by training and completed my Ph.D on hill stream insects of the Western Ghats in 2004 from Madurai Kamaraj University. Currently I am working as a scientist at Zoological Survey of India, Southern Regional Centre, Chennai. I am broadly interested in natural history and freshwater biodiversity conservation. My specialization is on taxonomy, ecology and biogeography of dragonflies, mayflies and aquatic bugs. 
  • Aaratrik Pal: I'm broadly interested in odonates, butterflies and wild plants. I have completed my Master's in Botany and now pursuing PhD from University of North Bengal. My passion works for photographing odonates and learning more about them. I'm also working on a site in my regional language (bengali). For more information email me.
  • Veino Family (Rakoveine, Lightson, Joyce, Dahru): We are a family based in Dimapur, Nagaland, that enjoys all the wonderful creatures around us and in turn hope to raise awareness for their conservation. After studying many of the local Lepidoptera life cycles, we “discovered” the beauty of odonates. We have been thrilled to document more than 60 species within steps of our home over the last few years. We have also helped rediscover and record range extensions for a few species and hope to keep doing so.
  • Kalesh Sadasivan: A Plastic Surgeon by profession and a naturalist by passion, from Kerala. Founder member and Research Associate of Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS), an NGO based in Trivandrum since 2010. I am a wildlife  photographer and an amateur taxonomist with specific interest in invertebrates. I have discovered and described more than a dozen new species to science from the Western Ghats including frogs (Raorchestes sp.), reptiles (Sitana sp.), wasps (Dolichogenedia sp.), ants (Tyrannomyrmex sp.) and also discovered 5 new species of odonates: Protosticta anamalaica, Protosticta ponmudiensisEuphaea pseudodisparEuphaea thosegharensis and Cyclogomphus flavoannulatus from Western Ghats. To know more about what I do visit my page or email me.
  • Vinayan P Nair: I am a teacher at Kozhikode, North Kerala. My home town is Taliparamba, North Kerala in Kannur District. I am a post graduate in Zoology (with Entomology specialisation) and hold MPhil (Entomology) and BEd. I studied butterflies and moths while in college and have published 20 research papers. I am a self taught photographer and has been documenting odonates and other insects of my area since 2009. For the last 6 years I have been studying the taxonomy and ecology of odonates of Kerala. I am also associated as a Research Associate at Travancore Nature History Society, Trivandrum.
  • Krushnamegh Kunte: I am a naturalist broadly interested in biodiversity, conservation and citizen science. I am an Associate Professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), TIFR, Bengaluru, where my research lab investigates diversification and adaptation in insects. I also serve as the Chief Editor of the Biodiversity Atlas – India project, of which this website is a part. Read more on my lab website or email me if you are interested in my research work and in the Biodiversity Atlas – India platform.
  • Purnendu Roy: I am a UK resident, but as a child I regularly visited Kolkata and later on in my teenage years spent most summer holidays in Manipur, Nagaland and  Arunachal Pradesh. I have a passion for the eastern himalaya not just in butterflies, but also for the culture and landscape. Me and my partner run a small shop trading with social enterprises from around the world.

Page citation

Joshi, S., and D. Sawant 2024. ABOUT US: THE ODONATA OF INDIA TEAM . In (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. . Indian Foundation for Butterflies.