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News: Gynacantha khasiaca, a rare dragonfly, has resurfaced in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district, about 600 km east of where it was first recorded 110 years ago.
About Gynacantha khasiaca
- It is commonly known as the long-tailed duskhawker.
- Family: Aeshnidae
- Order: Odonata (dragonflies & damselflies)
- Ecological role: It is crucial component of freshwater ecosystems, as predators and prey in the aquatic food web.
- Habitat: It is mostly found around the vicinity of freshwater habitats like rivers, streams, marshes, lakes and even small pools and rice fields.
- Distribution: Globally, it is found in north-east India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
- In India, beyond Arunachal Pradesh, the long-tailed duskhawker has been documented in Assam, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
- Rediscovery: It is discovered in Arunachal Pradesh, after a gap of 110 years from the Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve.
- It was last described from the erstwhile Abor Hills in 1914.
- Characteristics
- This insect has two compound eyes, each with thousands of tiny lenses and photoreceptor clusters.
- Due to this, it enjoys a near-360° while staying still in the air.
- It has a black “T”-shaped mark on its forehead.
- Its thorax is bright green with dark stripes, its wings are transparent with an amber tint, and it possesses a characteristically long, black-tipped abdomen.
- Conservation status
- IUCN Red List: Data Deficient
