Researchers in Colombia’s Guainía region, known as the “land of many waters,” are discovering a significant diversity of dragonflies and damselflies. What was once thought to have about 10 reported species has now revealed close to 120.
Yiselle Cano, a doctoral candidate and biodiversity leader for the Dragones Guainía project, stated that the region’s unique mix of waters from the Orinoquia and Amazon, coupled with pristine rainforest, creates an ideal habitat for these insects. Researchers are collecting and identifying species in various water bodies, from small puddles to the Inírida River, to understand what needs protection.
The discovered species include those native to the Orinoco and Amazon basins, as well as those endemic to the Guiana Shield, underscoring the ecological importance of this remote biodiversity hotspot.
Source: Mongabay