Gynacantha khasiaca : Rare Dragonfly
A team of four citizen scientists recently recorded Gynacantha khasiaca, a rare dragonfly commonly known as the long-tailed duskhawker, from the Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve.
- Gynacantha khasiaca is a rare species of dragonfly, commonly known as the long-tailed duskhawker.
- It has resurfaced in the dense rainforests of Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh.
- It is the first confirmed record of the dragonfly from Arunachal Pradesh in 110 years.
- Outside India, the dragonfly has only been reported from scattered locations in Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.
- Within India, confirmed records remain sparse, with occasional sightings from Assam, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and Maharashtra.
- The male dragonfly was first spotted rapidly patrolling the forest edge on a cloudy morning before settling into a vertical hanging posture beneath dense vegetation — behaviour typical of elusive duskhawker species.
- Globally, the species is classified as “Data Deficient” by the IUCN Red List.
