Two new damselfly species discovered in Western Ghats of Maharashtra, Kerala

MUmbai: ii young species of damselflies feature been discovered in the western sandwich Ghats by researchers from Maharashtra and Kerala.The species — Konkan Shadowdamsel, discovered in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg territory, and Crimson Shadowdamsel (Protosticta sanguinithorax), discovered in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district — belong to the group commonly called ‘Shadowdamsels’ because of their affinity for well-shaded forest habitats, a study published in the international journal Zootaxa on Friday said.Earlier, these two species were reportedly mistaken for the Red-spot Shadowdamsel (Protosticta sanguinostigma), described over a hundred years ago by British odonatologist F.C. Fraser from the Nilgiri Hills. However, a detailed analysis of the two recently discovered species has revealed that they are different.The Crimson Shadowdamsel has a reddish body, and the Konkan Shadowdamsel has a coffee-brown ground colouration, while the Red-spot Shadowdamsel is jet black, the study said.The differences were established using high-resolution microscopy and molecular analysis that compared the COI gene (a specific gene found within the mitochondria of cells and commonly used for identifying and classifying different species of animals).Also read: Smithophis leptofasciatus: New species of rain snake found in Mizoram“The Western Ghats hosts a rich diversity of species belonging to this group, most of which have small distribution ranges within the landscape. The ghats show high diversity and endemism of Protosticta with 16 species,” Vivek Chandran of the Society for Odonate Studies in Kerala told HT.The study said that the two species were found in restricted or microhabitats, which are small portions of the ghats. “These species are endemic to Maharashtra and are restricted to small portions of the hills. Their threat level still needs to be assessed. Shadowdamsels usually only thrive in pristine habitats and small streams. However, they are currently facing the threat of extended plantations, as the two specimens were found outside protected areas. The shade trees that they rely on are also cut down,” Chandran said.Also read: Scientists discover new species of cricket frog in Western GhatsCurrently, the country has over 500 species of dragonflies and damselflies, with further discoveries ongoing. “The Shadowdamsels can act as indicators of the health of our forests, since they are only seen in pristine forests. They are pollution indicators as well. They can only survive in habitats with good canopy cover and pristine streams. Since many of them are microendemics restricted to certain hill ranges within the Western Ghats, focused surveys can yield more new species in this group,” Chandran added.The team of researchers — Vivek Chandran, Reji Chandran (Society for Odonate Studies, Kerala), Dattaprasad Sawant (Indian Foundation for Butterflies), Pankaj Koparde (MIT World Peace University, Pune), Hemant Ogale (naturalist, Maharashtra), Abhishek Rane (naturalist, Maharashtra), and Krushnamegh Kunte (National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru) — published the study.