Three new antlion species identified in Western Ghats
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Kochi: Kerala's insect biodiversity gained additions with the identification of three species of antlions from the tribe Palparini —Indopalpares pardus, Palpares contrarius and Stenares harpyia— recorded for the first time from this region of the Western Ghats.
These insects prey on ants and in the adult stage. The lifespan of an adult, however, is restricted to just a month for reproduction before they perish, researchers said.
The discovery by a research team from Shadpada Entomology Research Lab (SERL) of Christ College, Thrissur, has been published in the internationally noted Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics.
The species have been widely reported in north Indian states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Odisha.
"We have not reported so many different species of antlions in the state. The only popular one is the commonly seen 'Kuzhiyana'. As part of our study, we collected samples of these species from north and south Kerala districts," said Suryanarayanan T B, researcher and assistant professor at St Aloysius College.
He said the discoveries shed light on the hidden diversity of Neuroptera in the Western Ghats and raise important questions about their ecological preferences.
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The presence of these typically dry-zone species in humid forest ecosystems suggests the need for deeper investigation into their habitat adaptability.
The Indopalpares pardus, a widely distributed species previously reported from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha and other northern states, has now been recorded from Vazhayur in Malappuram district. Meanwhile, Palpares contrarius was found in several locations across Kerala, including Kattilapara and Rosemala (Kollam), Kolahalamedu (Idukki), Kuthuparamba (Kannur), Payamthondu (Kozhikode), Pudunagaram (Palakkad) and Thirunelly (Wayanad).
Earlier records of this species are known from Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Mizoram.
Stenares harpyia, earlier restricted to Tamil Nadu and Telangana, has now been discovered in Gavi (Pathanamthitta), Thirunelly (Wayanad) and Vallakkadavu (Idukki), extending its known range significantly into southern Western Ghats.
"In the adult stage, these species of antlions look like dragonflies, so not many have linked them to ants. People have photographed them, but no one has studied them in depth and scientifically," said Bijoy C, head of SERL and assistant professor of Christ College. This reinforces the crucial role that academic institutions and local biodiversity surveys play in filling the gaps in India's faunal inventory, particularly for lesser-known insect groups like antlions, he added.
Hungarian scientist Dr Levente Ábrahám was also part of the study.
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