3 months ago
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NEW DELHI: Researchers person confirmed the find of a caller taxon of dragonfly, Lyriothemis keralensis, from the low-lying coastal regions of Kerala. Commonly called the Slender Bombardier, the taxon was formally identified aft much than 10 years of research, according to quality bureau PTI.The breakthrough survey was carried retired by a squad led by Dr Dattaprasad Sawant, Dr A Vivek Chandran, Renjith Jacob Mathews and Dr Krushnamegh Kunte, and has been published successful the International Journal of Odonatology.
Initially mistaken for a known species
The dragonfly was archetypal spotted successful 2013 successful the Varappetty country of Kothamangalam. At the time, scientists believed it belonged to Lyriothemis acigastra, besides known arsenic the Little Bloodtail, a taxon commonly recovered successful northeast India.Detailed introspection successful aboriginal years, however, showed that the Kerala specimen had chiseled carnal and behavioural features, prompting researchers to classify it arsenic a abstracted species.
Distinct carnal features acceptable it apart
According to the probe paper, Lyriothemis keralensis differs from the Little Bloodtail successful respective ways. It has a slimmer abdomen on with a unsocial process and genital structure.Male dragonflies person a heavy blood-red abdomen with achromatic markings, portion females are somewhat broader and show yellowish and achromatic colouring.
The taxon measures astir 3 centimetres successful magnitude and was besides confirmed done the survey of century-old depository specimens.
Thrives successful plantations, not forests
Unlike galore dragonfly species, Lyriothemis keralensis does not inhabit protected wood areas. Instead, it thrives successful human-modified irrigation landscapes specified arsenic pineapple and rubber plantations.Researchers recovered it chiefly successful shaded canals and seasonal pools wrong cultivation land, making its situation penchant antithetic and highly specific.
Call to rethink conservation priorities
Researcher Vivek Chandran stressed the request to broaden conservation efforts beyond forests. “It is important that our actions for the preservation of biodiversity bash not absorption solely connected forests,” helium said, arsenic quoted by PTI, adding that odonates inhabit a wide scope of habitats, including human-dominated areas.The taxon appears during the monsoon play and retreats erstwhile the rains subside. Since its endurance depends connected fragile microhabitats extracurricular nationalist parks, researchers warned that its aboriginal rests mostly connected quality work and the extortion of section ecosystems wrong farmlands.
