Konkan Shadowdamsel and Crimson Shadowdamsel

News: Two new species of damselflies have been discovered in the Western Ghats by researchers from Maharashtra and Kerala.

About Konkan Shadowdamsel and Crimson Shadowdamsel

• Both the species belong to the group commonly called ‘Shadowdamsels’ because of their affinity for well-shaded forest habitats.
• Habitat
  • These species are endemic to Maharashtra and are restricted to small portions of the hills.
  • Shadowdamsels usually thrive in pristine habitats with good canopy cover and small streams.
• Mistaken identity: 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.
• Specifications
  • The Crimson Shadowdamsel has a reddish body.
  • The Konkan Shadowdamsel has a coffee-brown ground colouration.
  • The Red-spot Shadowdamsel is jet black.
• Threat level: Their threat level still needs to be assessed.
• Threats: They are currently facing the threat of extended plantations.
• Ecologocal importance
  • 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.

Note:

• The species Konkan Shadowdamsel is discovered in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district.
• The species Crimson Shadowdamsel (Protosticta sanguinithorax) is discovered in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district.