Source: The Hindu
Context
A team of odonatologists discovered a new species of spreadwing damselfly, Lestes paloti, in the Western Ghats of Kerala — published in the International Journal of Odonatology. It is the first new Lestes species from the Western Ghats in nearly 96 years.
About Lestes paloti
What It Is
- A newly described spreadwing damselfly of family Lestidae, order Odonata.
- Named after Dr. Muhamed Jafer Palot, a scientist at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kozhikode, for his contributions to Indian odonatology and Western Ghats fauna.
- Significance: first new Lestes species from the Western Ghats since Lestes malabaricus (1929) — a ~96-year gap; and the first new Indian Lestes since Lestes garoensis (1987).
Found In
- Six Kerala districts: Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Ernakulam.
Habitat (Unusual)
- Unlike most damselflies that stay near open water, it inhabits scrub vegetation around homesteads and laterite hillocks, often away from visible open water.
