THRISSUR: A study paper published by a team of researchers in the latest issue of Journal of Threatened Taxa, has revealed that Little Bloodtail, a small and colourful dragonfly, has wide presence in the state and can be considered as a harbinger of monsoon. Existing reports indicate that the Little Bloodtail was historically known to be spotted in Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh and North East India. It was only in 2013 that the species was first recorded in Kannur.
In 2015, Odonate enthusiast Jeevan Jose reported the presence of a colony of Bloodtail in Kadavoor village of Ernakulam district. Over a span of seven years, dragonfly enthusiasts sighted the species in various locations in Kasaragod, Kannur, Ernakulam, Kottayam and Idukki. The diminutive fly measures less than 4cm in length. The male is blood red with black markings while in females, the red is replaced by yellow.
“The particular species of dragonfly can be spotted from the beginning of June till September. Moreover, it is the tenerals, the flies that just came out of the larvae, that are seen in the monsoon period. It is also a mystery how the larvae of these dragonflies survive during the summer, as the canals which act as the habitat for them remain dry after monsoon,” said Muhamed Sherif, who compiled the observations of Little Bloodtail from Kerala for the team. Vivek Chandran, a team member, said that dragonflies and damselflies were indicators of environmental health.
According to K A Subramanian, scientist and officer in charge, Zoological Survey of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, “the life cycle of several species of insects are closely associated with monsoon and dragonflies are one of them. However the life cycle of little bloodtail is very closely linked with monsoon and they are found only during this season in Kerala. Hence they can be considered as a harbinger of monsoon.”
He opined that dragonflies and damselflies were well studied in Kerala since the time of Frederick Charles Fraser in 1918. “With the availability of photographic field guides and online resources, there is an increased awareness among naturalists and students. Moreover, exchange of information through social media platforms brought together enthusiasts and helped in more research,” he added.