Species named after odonatologist C.G. Kiran
Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have identified a new damselfly species, Platylestes kirani, in the wetlands of Kannur district. The species has been named after late C.G. Kiran, odonatologist and the author of the book Dragonflies of Kerala (Keralathile Thumbikal).
“Since the species has been collected from the coastal wetlands of the region, it highlights that our wetlands are rich in diversity and still remain unexplored,” said Muhamed Jafer Palot, ZSI scientist. The research revealed that the adult flight period was for a short time between August and October, he told The Hindu. The specimen of the new species has been deposited in the national collections of the ZSI, Western Ghat Regional Centre, Kozhikode.
The specimen was collected from the Edakkepuram wetlands of Kannapuram grama panchayat in Kannur district. The finding was published in the latest edition of the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The team behind the discovery comprises scientists K.G. Emiliyamma of ZSI Kolkata, Muhamed Jafer Palot of ZSI Pune and C. Charesh of ZSI Kozhikode.