New owlfly species discovered from Kerala after 134 years

In a breakthrough successful insect research, scientists from the Shadpada Entomology Research Lab (SERL) astatine Christ College, Irinjalakuda, person uncovered a caller taxon of owlfly, belonging to the household Myrmeleontidae and bid Neuroptera, from the forests of Malappuram. The species, Protidricerus albocapitatus, was recovered successful the Nedumkayam wood successful Malappuram territory — a vibrant pouch of the Western Ghats, 1 of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots.

This find is scientifically significant: it marks lone the 2nd clip the genus Protidricerus has been recorded successful India, arriving a afloat 134 years aft British entomologist McLachlan described the country’s archetypal species, Protidricerus elwesii, successful 1891 from West Bengal.

The sanction albocapitatus comes from Latin — albus meaning “white” and capitatus referring to the agelong tuft of achromatic hairs connected the caput and the prominently achromatic nine of the antenna.

The ceremonial statement appears successful the planetary diary Zootaxa. The probe squad includes Suryanarayanan T.B., SERL researcher and Assistant Professor astatine St. Aloysius College, Elthuruth; probe supervisor and SERL caput Bijoy C. of Christ College; Hungarian idiosyncratic Levente Ábrahám; and Muhamed Jafer Palot of the Zoological Survey of India.

Reason for name

“Though often confused with dragonflies astatine a glance, big owlflies basal isolated with their long, clubbed antennae, ample eyes, and twilight enactment patterns — traits that inspired the sanction “owlfly.” They beryllium to the bid Neuroptera, comprising holometabolous insects, successful crisp opposition to dragonflies, which are hemimetabolous insects nether the bid Odonata,” says Dr. Suryanarayanan.

Dr. Suryanarayanan notes that targeted surveys, particularly successful unexplored wood regions, could uncover caller taxon and distributional records of owlflies from India. With this addition, Kerala present hosts 5 known taxon of owlflies, and India’s full rises to 37. The enactment was supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi.