New Species of Dragonflies

New Species of Dragonflies Latest News

Scientists recently discovered three new species of dragonflies in Northeast India, including one from a forest trail in Assam and two from a remote valley in Arunachal Pradesh.

About New Species of Dragonflies

• Two of the newly described species—the Clouded Boghawker (Sarasaeschna nuboides) and the Siang Boghawker (Sarasaeschna sigotaayo)—were observed around a small, shallow forest pond in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang Valley, where dragonflies were seen flying rapidly and perching close to water.
• The third species, the Long-tailed Boghawker (Sarasaeschna dosdewaensis), was discovered in Assam’s Karimganj district, an area increasingly recognised as an odonate diversity hotspot.

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Key Facts about Dragonflies

• Dragonflies are insects in the order Odonata. 
• Insects in this group are characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of wings, and an elongated body. 
• Their eyes provide them with excellent vision due to their very unique structure. 
• Dragonfly eyes have up to 30,000 “facets” and are arranged in a way that gives them almost 360-degree vision. This gives them a huge advantage when hunting for food.
• Dragonflies are among the fastest insects known and are voracious predators of flying insects such as mosquitoes and flies.
• Dragonflies predate dinosaurs by over 100 million years. 
• They are most commonly found near freshwater habitats throughout most of the world.
• Damselflies are a close relative of the dragonfly and may easily be confused with the dragonfly. You can tell them apart in a couple of ways. 
  • Damselflies are smaller and more delicate than dragonflies, and when they are at rest, damselflies hold their wings straight up and together above their body while the wings of dragonflies remain horizontal while at rest.

Source: EM