Prelims Bits
Context
Odonatologists have confirmed the presence of the elusive dragonfly species Crocothemis erythraea in the high-altitude regions of the southern Western Ghats. The species had previously been misidentified or overlooked due to its similarity to the more common lowland species Crocothemis servilia.
Details
- Genus Crocothemis in India
- C. servilia: Widespread across lowland regions
- C. erythraea: Restricted to high-elevation habitats, also found in Europe, Asia, and the Himalayas
- Previous Records
- 2018: Specimens photographed in the Munnar high ranges during a faunal survey
- 2021: Cited in a monograph on Kerala’s odonata fauna
- Subsequent Removal: Records omitted in later checklists due to identification skepticism
- Recent Field Expeditions
- Conducted between 2019–2023 across high-altitude sites in the Western Ghats
- Confirmed that both C. erythraea and C. servilia coexist in the region
- Historical Significance
- C. erythraea likely colonized southern India during the Pleistocene Ice Age
- Cooler climatic conditions at the time allowed temperate species to expand southward
Significance
- Highlights the biodiversity of the Western Ghats, a high-altitude ecosystem with unique fauna
- Underlines the importance of accurate species identification in conservation and biodiversity assessments
- Offers insight into historical biogeography, showing how climatic shifts influence species distribution