Photo of the Week: Firm Fly in Pokhara, Nepal

Navin M. Shrestha (Photo and text)
17 January 2010

At a glance, it’s just a dragonfly, a fairly interesting insect not that hard to sight in late summer in several areas of Nepal. Caught on camera near the farther end of Lakeside area of Pokhara, this particular insect has a wonderful tale to tell. So let’s hear it, shall we?

“Namaste! Warm welcome to all of you! I am a dragonfly and my Nepalese friends call me gainekira, which means ‘singer insect’ (gaine is ‘singer’; kira is ‘insect’), as I create musical sounds with my wings. To the culturally rich Newar community, I am known as jhyaalincha, while in Maithili I am known by the name phatinga. Whatever my name is, I am not just a simple insect; to many children, especially those growing up in the countryside and with little access to commercial playthings, I am always there to attract and please them. If you are curious, find out more about me.

Entomologists and zoologist have classified me as one of the 171 species of dragonflies found at altitudes ranging from 130 to 6300 metres in Nepal. I like to think I am living proof that this country, occupying not more than 0.09% of the earth’s total landmass, is a floral and faunal Eden, even though a proper biodiversity study and analysis of in Nepal has yet to be done at the national level. Natural scientists still believe that Nepal is 25th on the list of countries boasting rich species diversity. For example, did you know that, along with hundreds of others, Apis laboriosa (the Himalayan honeybee, largest in the world), Attacus atlas (the world’s largest moth) and Epiophlebia laidlawi (the Himalayan Relict Dragonfly) are endemic to Nepal? I am proud to have been born and now live in such a priceless and gifted land.

But it’s not a land without its fair share of troubles. While the environmental consequences of the conflict in Nepal vary, I believe that not all of them are negative and, in any case, it is unreasonable to attribute all blame to one particular human group. Luckily, I’m not an endangered species. Not at the moment. But there are many others that are. Fortunately, these days even a school kid knows that rare and endangered species must be protected.

They are also learning that even smaller species are important in maintaining the delicate balance of nature, and that if they were to suddenly disappear, the whole ecosystem would collapse. In most terrestrial ecosystems, insects like me are also the group with most biodiversity. It is quite common in any habitat for the number of insect species to far surpass the number of all other animal and plant species combined.

In general, humans are very nice to me too, look out for me. However I pity the selfish behaviour and acts of foolish people who have no regard for biodiversity and nature. I know that not all of you are indifferent to environmental issues, that there are indeed many wise and kind people out there who believe that natural balance must not be disturbed. No matter where you come from, my only request to you is to realise just how powerful you humans are and to use your strength to conserve earth’s natural riches. I know that when you are determined, you have changed and will continue to change this world in many ways.

Whether or not you’re a natural scientist, wildlife lover, nature photographer, filmmakers and so on, Nepal is a paradise for anyone in search of a worthwhile vacation. I therefore invite you to my homeland to explore the many wonders of nature. I encourage you to find creatures like me and to take as many pictures as you like for memory. I also urge you to leave only footprints behind. Every thoughtful move you make will help preserve this and other wonderful destinations for generations to come.”

This photo was taken with a Canon EOS 1000D using a 55-250mm zoom lens without a tripod. Given the slightly windy conditions, I took nearly 55 shots of three or four different dragonflies at the same location to be sure that my subject was in sharp focus.

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