In news-Dragonfly enthusiasts have recorded the presence of Spiny Horntail, a rare dragonfly that was hitherto unseen in Kerala during a recent expedition to the Kottiyoor forests of Kannur.
About the Dragonfly-
- The species that is known to be endemic to the Western Ghats was discovered in Maharashtra earlier in 2022 in Sindhudurg district.
- Prior to their finding, the dragonfly genus Burmagomphus was represented by three species –
- B. cauvericus.
- B. pyramidalis and
- B. laidlawi.
- While B. laidlawi is found throughout the Western Ghats, B. cauvericus is more restricted in its distribution.
- B. pyramidalis is found in the Western Ghats as well as in Peninsular India.
- All other species of the genus are found in the Western and Eastern Himalayas.
- The new species can be separated from its congeners by the markings on the lateral thorax and peculiar shape of anal appendages.
Source: The Hindu
