EnvironmentWednesday, 2 September 2026·The Hindu - Environment
Arunachal dragonfly record adds spoon-tailed duskhawker to India’s Odonata checklist
A 2024 photograph from Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh confirmed the spoon-tailed duskhawker in India, strengthening the country’s dragonfly checklist.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In October 2024, a dragonfly photographed on the Miao-Vijaynagar Road inside the 1,985 sq. km Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh was identified as the spoon-tailed duskhawker (Gynacantha basiguttata).
Key specifics
- The finding came from a team of five researchers working in Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve.
- The species was first misrecorded as Gynacantha khasiaca before taxonomical correction.
- The paper was published in the latest issue of Journal of Threatened Taxa.
- No physical specimen was collected, in line with forest regulations and the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022.
- The researchers recommended adding G. basiguttata to India’s Odonata checklist.
Exam lens
Question type: Environment and species-identification MCQ, Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh, Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022, Odonata checklist. TNPSC one-liner: “A 2024 photographic record from Namdapha confirmed the spoon-tailed duskhawker in India.”