According to a new study, eight dragonfly species have vanished from the Pune district, while 27 new species have been discovered. The study was published in the International Journal of Tropical Insect Science.
- The research indicates that the disappearance of local dragonfly populations is linked to land-use changes, increased water pollution, shifting weather patterns and rapid urbanisation.
- The study covers the period from 2019 to 2022 and was conducted across 52 locations in Pune, which lies within the Western Ghats and Deccan Peninsula biogeographic zones of Maharashtra.
- The Western Ghats, recognised as a biodiversity hotspot in India, is home to 203 species of odonates, including 84 endemics.
- Dragonflies and damselflies are collectively called odonates.
(Source: Down To Earth)
