Ice Age-era Dragonfly Rediscovered: Crocothemis erythraea

Species Rediscovery

• The elusive dragonfly Crocothemis erythraea has been reconfirmed in the high-elevation regions of the southern Western Ghats.

• Previously misidentified as Crocothemis servilia due to close resemblance.

Genus in India

• Crocothemis includes two known species:

  • C. servilia – common across lowland areas.

  • C. erythraea – found in high-elevation habitats of Europe, Asia, Himalayas, and now confirmed in the Western Ghats.

Research Journey

• First sighting: 2018, during faunal survey in Munnar high ranges (photographs taken).

• Mentioned in 2021 monograph on Kerala’s odonata fauna, but later removed from checklists due to identification doubts.

• Multiple expeditions (2019–2023) conducted in high-altitude Western Ghats confirmed the species’ presence.

Evolutionary Significance

• C. erythraea colonised southern India during the Pleistocene Ice Age, when cooler climatic conditions allowed temperate fauna to extend southward.

• Rediscovery underscores the ecological uniqueness of the Western Ghats as a biodiversity hotspot and a refuge for Ice Age-era species.