Damselfly species found in Western Ghats named after climate impact on insects

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

A new damselfly species has been discovered in Kerala’s southern Western Ghats.

Details Of the species:

Researchers from MIT-World Peace University in Pune named the insect ‘Armageddon reedtail’ or protostictaarmageddonia, to draw attention to the global decline of insect populations due to rampant habitat loss and climate change.
The species was discovered northeast of Thiruvananthapuram. It has a captivating dark brown to black body with vibrant greenish-blue eyes, and half of its eight abdominal segments are marked with delicate pale blue markings.
The new species is distinct from other damselflies.
Its only habitat is primary montane streams, where it thrives beneath dense canopy cover.

Ecological armageddon:

The term ‘ecological armageddon’ is used to describe the devastating decline of insect populations around the world.
This phenomenon, also called insect apocalypse, affects entire ecosystems because insects pollinate, cycle nutrients and provide food for other animals.
Odonatology: The study of insects, such as dragonflies, that belong to the zoological group Odonata.

MIT World Peace University:

Located in: Kothrud, Pune, Maharashtra.
It is a private institution officially named Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University.
Established under the Government of Maharashtra Act No. XXXV 2017 and recognized by the University Grants Commission.
The university was formerly known as the Maharashtra Institute of Technology which was established in 1983.