Armageddon Reedtail

October 3, 2023

MIT-World Peace University researchers in Pune have found a damselfly of the ‘Armageddon Reedtail – Protosticta Armageddonia’ species in in Kerala’s southern Western Ghats.
This newfound species has been officially documented in the International Journal of Odonatology
- It is a publication affiliated with the Worldwide Dragonfly Association based in the United States.
- The discovery has also been meticulously recorded and registered with the Zoological Survey of India, Pune.
The newly-found species exhibits a captivating dark brown to black body with vibrant greenish-blue eyes and it features delicate pale blue markings on half of its eight abdominal segments.
Its exclusive habitat choice is primary montane streams, where it thrives beneath a dense canopy cover.
The name, Armageddon Reedtail, is a direct reference to the concept of “Ecological Armageddon”, a term used to describe the devastating decline of insect populations around the world.
- This phenomenon, often referred to as the “Insect Apocalypse,” has far-reaching consequences for the entire ecosystem, as insects play crucial roles in pollination, nutrient cycling and as a food source for other animals.