author(s)
Sumana Saha, Shami Akhter and Dinendra Raychaudhuri

abstract
Ponds at the local level are supposed to play the pivotal role in the conservation of aquatic biodiversity. This is primarily because both abundance and diversity of aquatic insects is expected to be more in freshwater habitats. We therefore cannot deny our responsibility in the matter of conservation. With this in mind a comparative study is carried out during August 2018-July, 2019 on the aquatic insect/spider diversity of two different ponds [managed & unmanaged] in RKM Campus, Narendrapur, S-24 Parganas, West Bengal. Weekly sampling was made to assess the pollution status of the referred ponds basing on the aquatic insect community and physicochemical properties of water. Hemipterans are found to be dominant in both the ponds. As per habitat orientation the fauna are of 6 different types and functionally of 4 types. Increase in DO content and water temperature, do increase the abundance of dominant species in both the ponds. Negative impact is noted for pH on the abundance. This study attempts to point out that unmanaged ponds have an important role to play in biodiversity conservation.