New antlion species discovered in Walayar; found in teak-dominated regions
Researchers discovered a new antlion species, named 'Quta tectona', in Walayar's teak forests, alongside the first South Indian record of 'Quta punctata', expanding Kerala's total antlion species count to fourteen.
Researchers discovered a new antlion species, named 'Quta tectona', in Walayar's teak forests, alongside the first South Indian record of 'Quta punctata', expanding Kerala's total antlion species count to fourteen.
Researchers discovered a new antlion species, named 'Quta tectona', in Walayar's teak forests, alongside the first South Indian record of 'Quta punctata', expanding Kerala's total antlion species count to fourteen.
Kochi: A new species of antlion has been discovered in the teak-dominated regions of Walayar, Palakkad. Researchers have named the new species ‘Quta Tectona’. This name is derived from Tectona grandis, the scientific name for teak. The findings have been published in the international scientific journal ‘Zootaxa’.
The study was conducted by Dr. T.B. Sooryanarayanan, Assistant Professor of Zoology at St. Aloysius College, Thrissur; Dr. C. Bijoy, Assistant Professor at Christ College, Irinjalakuda; and Hungarian scientist Dr. Lévêndi Ábrahám. With this discovery, the total number of antlion species found in the state now stands at 14.
The team has made a significant discovery related to the Western Ghats. Alongside the new species, the rare antlion species ‘Quta punctata’ was also found in Vazhayoor, Malappuram district, marking its first recorded presence in the state.
This species, previously recorded from Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and West Bengal, marks its first discovery in South India.
While antlions bear a superficial resemblance to damselflies, they are distinctly different. This discovery also serves as evidence that numerous species are yet to be uncovered in the forested regions of the Western Ghats.
The newly discovered antlion species Quta tectona from Walayar, and Quta punctata, found for the first time in the state from Malappuram.