KASARAGOD: A species of damselfly that was discovered in Kodagu last year was recently spotted in Kasaragod.
“Damselflies like dragonflies indicate a healthier ecosystem,” said Muhammed Haneef K A, assistant professor of botany at Thalassery Government Brennen College.
He along with fellow researchers discovered the Protosticta sooryaprakashi, which they named the Kodagu shadowdamsel. The team published its findings in the peer reviewed journal Zootaxa.
The species was named after late botanist Dr Sooryaprakash Shenoy. According to the team, Shenoy was an eminent botanist and head scientist at the Dr Shivaram Karanth Biological Park in Mangaluru. He was widely regarded for his efforts towards biodiversity conservation in the Western Ghats.
“The damselfly stands apart with a bluish-white prothoracic marking, duck-head-shaped genital tips, and distinct caudal appendage structure. It is also the smallest of its species,” said Haneef.
Haneef was on a field trip in Panathur region in Kasaragod when he spotted the damselfly. “We later spotted it in the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary. We believe its presence in Wayanad is also due to the region’s micro-climate, which is similar to that of Kodagu,” he said.
Nearly 80% of the protosticta genus flies in the country are endemic to the Western Ghats.
Dragon and damselflies are carnivores which feed on small insects, especially mosquitoes. The Protosticta sooryaprakashi is found in micro-climates with running forest streams, clean water and lots of shade. “The presence of this delicate fly indicates the health of the micro-climate,” Haneef said.