Context: A team of odonatologists discovered a new species of spreadwing damselfly, Lestes paloti, in the Western Ghats of Kerala, with the finding published in the International Journal of Odonatology.
About Lestes paloti:
What It Is?
- Lestes paloti is a newly described species of spreadwing damselfly belonging to the family Lestidae under the order Odonata. It was named in honor of Dr. Muhamed Jafer Palot, a scientist at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kozhikode, recognizing his vast contributions to Indian odonatology and Western Ghats fauna documentation.
Found In: The species has been recorded across six districts in Kerala: Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, and Ernakulam.
Habitat:
- Unlike many related damselfly species that stay close to open water bodies, Lestes paloti inhabits scrub vegetation around homesteads and laterite hillocks, often occurring away from visible open water.
Key Features of the Species:
- Seasonal Color Shift: Exhibits a unique color-changing habit—appearing brown during the dry season and transitioning to a striking bluish coloration during the monsoon season.
- Distinct Genital Morphology: Confirmed as a distinct species through detailed microscopic examination of the male’s anal appendages and secondary genitalia, distinguishing it from northeastern lookalikes.
- Cryptic and Elusive Behavior: Possesses subtle habits and close visual similarities to related species, which allowed it to remain undiscovered by researchers for decades.
- Resolves Historical Taxonomic Error: Studies showed that historical records of Lestes nodalis in southern India were misidentifications and actually pertained to Lestes paloti, clarifying the geographic distribution of the genus in India.
Significance:
- The discovery of a new Lestes species in the Western Ghats after 97 years reveals hidden insect diversity and raises Kerala’s odonate count to 192 species.
- As Lestes paloti inhabits laterite hillocks and scrublands near human settlements, its discovery highlights the need to protect non-forest freshwater.
