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New dragonfly species discovered in Western Ghats
Kozhikode: Researchers discovered a new species of dragonfly in the Western Ghats. The species, named Lyriothemis abrahami, was previously misidentified as Lyriothemis flava due to superficial similarities.
The discovery was made by researchers from the Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS) and collaborating institutions following field surveys and larval rearing experiments. The findings were published in the journal Entomon on June 30.
The new species has been named in honour of Abraham Samuel, a pioneer in odonatology from Kerala. It is endemic to the southern and central Western Ghats and has been found in multiple forest landscapes in Kerala and Karnataka.
"This discovery highlights the hidden diversity within India's forests and the value of close morphological study," said Kalesh Sadasivan, lead author and odonate researcher of TNHS. "Our rearing of larvae and dissection of adults revealed distinct characters not found in L. flava," Sadasivan added.
The new species breeds in phytotelmata, which are small pools of water in tree holes and exhibits strong sexual dimorphism.
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Males possess uniquely shaped hamules, whereas females are jet-black with prominent yellow triangular spots. Its distribution ranges from lowland rainforests to mid-elevation evergreen and deciduous forests (50–1100m ASL), yet it remains rare and localised.
"Lyriothemis abrahami exemplifies how species can be overlooked when relying on superficial characters or juvenile forms," said Muhamed Jafer Palot of the Zoological Survey of India.
"It was misidentified for over a decade due to similarities with L. flava."
The study revealed that specimens from earlier reports, including a female collected in 2013, belonged to this new species. The research team conducted comparative analyses with historical material and illustrated the diagnostic traits.
"The discovery raises Kerala's odonate count to 191 species, including 78 endemics," said Vinayan Padmanabhan Nair, co-author.
This discovery reinforces the importance of conserving forest microhabitats. Tree holes, often overlooked, are critical breeding sites for species such as L. abrahami. The loss of mature trees and canopy cover threatens these delicate niches.
"This dragonfly is not just a species, it's an indicator of forest health," said Jebine Jose, co-author and field ecologist. "Conserving its habitat helps protect many other unseen organisms."
