NEWS: Scientists have discovered a new species of spreadwing damselfly, Lestes paloti, in the Western Ghats of Kerala. The discovery was published in the International Journal of Odonatology.
ABOUT
- Scientific Name: Lestes paloti
- Order: Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)
- Named in honour of Dr. Muhamed Jafer Palot of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kozhikode, for his contributions to Indian odonatology.
DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT
- Found in six districts of Kerala: Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Ernakulam
- Inhabits scrub vegetation around homesteads and laterite hillocks, often away from open water bodies.
KEY FEATURES
- Seasonal colour change: Brown during the dry season and bluish during the monsoon.
- Distinguished from related species through male anal appendages and secondary genitalia.
- Exhibits cryptic behaviour, making it difficult to identify.
- Corrected historical misidentification of Lestes nodalis in southern India.
SIGNIFICANCE
- Enriches the biodiversity records of the Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot.
- Improves the taxonomic understanding of Indian damselflies.
- Highlights the importance of continued biodiversity surveys and conservation in the Western Ghats.