New dragonfly species Lyriothemis abrahami discovered in Kerala

The Hindu

20-07-2025

A new species of dragonfly, Lyriothemis abrahami, which was previously misidentified as Lyriothemis flava due to superficial similarities, has been officially documented after over a decade of painstaking fieldwork, larval rearing and scientific review by researchers from the Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS), the Zoological Survey of India, Pala Alphonsa College, and the Institute of Tropical Research, Ecology and Conservation.
The discovery, published in the journal Entomon, after five rigorous rounds of peer review, marks a major milestone in dragonfly taxonomy in India and underscores the ecological significance of the Western Ghats. The discovery honours Abraham Samuel, a pioneer in odonatology.
Kalesh Sadasivan, director, TNHS, said that the first clues emerged in May 2013 during a trek by researchers, including him, TNHS director Jayakumar K., the late Kiran C.G. and K. Baiju, in the forests of Thenmala. A dragonfly guarding a tree hole caught their attention due to its distinct features.
He said despite photographic evidence and parallel observation in Thattekkad and north Kerala, the team refrained from publishing their findings out of respect for simultaneous efforts by other researchers. A single specimen collected then was left with the late Kiran, whose death led to the loss of the initial sample.
Spotted four times
Mr. Sadasivan said between 2013 and 2025 the species was spotted only four times in Ponmudi, Kallar, Neyyar and the Peppara wildlife sanctuary. 'The rarity of sighting cast doubt on the distinctness of the species,' he said.
He said a breakthrough came in 2022 when field ecologist Jebin Jose located larvae in a tree hole, enabling the team to begin rearing the species at a homestead under controlled conditions. However, lab-reared adults failed to display mature colouration required for taxonomic description, Mr. Sadasivan said. The final success came in 2025 when four mature adults were collected, one from the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kannur and three from Ponmudi in Thiruvananthapuram.
Distribution
He said the species bred in small water pools in tree holes and exhibits strong dimorphism, with males featuring uniquely shaped hamules and female displaying jet black bodies with yellow triangular spots. Its distribution spanned from lowland rainforests to mid-elevation evergreen and deciduous forests between 50 m and 1,100 m above sea level.
The finding increased Kerala's odonate species count to 191, including 78 endemic species, said Vinayan Padmanabhan Nair, co-author, emphasising the Western Ghats' global biodiversity significance.
The study also underscores the importance of conserving forest microhabitats like tree holes, which serve as critical breeding sites for L. abrahami. Mr. Jose called the dragonfly an indicator of forest health, stressing habitat conservation's broader ecological benefits.
The research team plan further studies on the larval biology and evolutionary relationships of the species.