60 new species of dragonflies discovered in Africa

Naturalists Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra, Jens Kipping and Nicolas Mézière scanned through swamps and streams in Africa and discovered 60 new species of dragonflies and damselflies in varied habitats. Mézière, a school teacher, found 18 of the 60 new species, all in Gabon. The team named one species, the Robust Sparklewing Umma gumma from central Africa after the classic 1969 album by Pink Floyd.A team of researchers has described 60 new species of dragonflies and damselflies from various parts of Africa, according to a recent study published in the journal Odonatologica. This is the most number of dragonfly species to be described at once in 130 years, researchers say. And with this discovery, the total number of known species of dragonflies has jumped from 700 to 760. Researchers write that most of the newly described species are colorful and easy to identify from photographs alone. “The current emphasis on molecular research in taxonomy creates the impression that undiscovered life is inconspicuous or hidden, but each of our new species is colorful and easy to identify,” lead researcher Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra, a member of the IUCN SSC Dragonfly Specialist Group, said in a statement. “It’s a matter of going outside and knowing what you’re looking for. It’s a biologist’s greatest importance today. Names introduce species to humanity. All awareness, conservation and research of nature starts with the question: which species is that?”-read more -http://news.mongabay.com/2016/01/60-new-species-of-dragonflies-discovered-in-africa/