Dragonfly enthusiasts have recorded the presence of a rare dragonfly that was hitherto unseen in Kerala.
Afsar Nayakkan and Vibhu Vipanchika spotted the Spiny Horntail, Burmagomphus chaukulensis Joshi, Ogale & Sawant, 2022 (or B. chaukulensis), during a recent expedition to the Kottiyoor forests of Kannur. The species that is known to be endemic to the Western Ghats was discovered in Maharashtra earlier this year.
The discovery that was recorded from Kottiyoor was confirmed by Vinayan P. Nair, an odonate expert who represents the TNHS Odonata Research Group (TORG) of the Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS).