Researchers discovered New species of Dragonfly in Goa

Researchers in the Month of May 2013 discovered a new species of dragonfly from a wildlife sanctuary in Goa.

The new species was spotted at Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife sanctuary at Collem in south Goa by researchers Parag Rangnekar and Rohan Naik in collaboration with Dr K A Subramanian, the scientist with Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.

The species is scientifically named as (Idionyx Gomantakensis), and is restricted to evergreen forest. As per the researchers, most of the species of this genus are known from South India, while Goa has two.

It is important here to note that, the research was conducted under the banner of Mineral Foundation of Goa and supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Goa.

The government wild be conducting focused surveys could result in discovery of more species from the state.

Some Points to Remember about Dragonfly
• Dragonflies and Damselflies belong to the Order Odonata.
• This group of insects is dependent on water for completion of their life-cycle and hence the quality of water defines the species composition.
• The group was an excellent indicator of the health of a water body and can be effectively used in bio-monitoring.