#1ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
Top ↑Spoon-Tailed Duskhawker
ЁЯФ╣ Why in News & Recent Development
Researchers have recently verified the first photographic evidence of the spoon-tailed duskhawker (Gynacantha basiguttata) in Arunachal Pradesh, significantly expanding India's documented dragonfly diversity list.
ЁЯФ╣ Key Conceptual & Analytical Details
Belonging to the Aeshnidae family, the species is distinguished by a black T-shaped mark on the frons and narrow, expanded cerci giving its abdominal appendages a spoon-like appearance. It acts as a vital apex predator of flying insects like mosquitoes and gnats in aquatic food webs.
ЁЯФ╣ Strategic Importance & Future Impact
Discoveries of rare Southeast Asian insect species in the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot underscore the region's ecological richness and the critical need for preserving micro-habitats like forest pools and streams.
ЁЯФ╣ UP PCS / STATE PCS HIGH-YIELD VALUE ADDITION
тАв- State: Arunachal Pradesh
тАв- District: Unspecified Frontier Region
тАв- Tribe: Various Indigenous Hill Tribes
тАв- River: Brahmaputra River Basin tributaries
тАв- Articles: Article 48A (Protection of Wildlife)
тАв- Schedules: Wildlife Protection Act Schedules
тАв- IUCN Status: Not Evaluated / Data Deficient
тАв- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
тАв- PYQ Trend: High frequency of questions on newly discovered species in northeast biodiversity hotspots.