Rare dragonfly with 360° vision sighted in Arunachal after 110 years

Itanagar: An insect known for its near-360° vision and ability to hover in place has resurfaced in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district, more than a century after it was first recorded.

A team of four citizen scientists spotted Gynacantha khasiaca, commonly called the long-tailed duskhawker, inside the Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve. The rare dragonfly was last described from the erstwhile Abor Hills in 1914. The new sighting is about 600 km east of that location.

The species is notable for its two compound eyes, each made up of thousands of tiny lenses and photoreceptor clusters. That structure gives it near-panoramic vision and precise control in flight.

Researchers said the find highlights the biodiversity value of Namdapha and the role of citizen science in documenting rare species.

The long-tailed duskhawker is typically active at dusk and prefers dense forest streams. Its reappearance after 110 years offers new opportunities to study its habitat and behavior.