Recently, a research team led by Tian Shengni from the College of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, made an important discovery while conducting a plant and animal species diversity survey in the Jiuhuashan UNESCO Global Geopark in Qingyang County, Chizhou City. Chlorogomphus papilio,a first-class protected wildlife species in Anhui Province, was found in the park. Together with three other chlorogomphid species recorded during the same period, this marks the first time that all four chlorogomphid species found across Anhui Province have been observed together in Jiuhuashan, once again refreshing the local biodiversity record.
During this targeted survey, the research team successfully recorded activity traces of Chlorogomphus papilio. Listed in the 2023 updated edition of the Anhui Province KeyProtected Wildlife List, this species is hailed as the "giant panda" among dragonflies due to its distinctive black-and-white markings and large size. At the same time, the team also observed two other species from the genus Chlorogomphus — Chlorogomphus suzukii and Chlorogomphus nasutus — as well as Watanabeopetalia soarer from the genus Watanabeopetalia.
Chlorogomphidae, which belongs to the superfamily Cordulegastroidea, has extremely demanding habitat requirements and relies heavily on clean stream environments. The nymphs of chlorogomphids are cylindrical in shape, living concealed in the sandy bottoms of streams year-round. They are carnivorous, feeding on fish and shrimp, and require three to five years of growth before emerging as adults, while the adult lifespan is only a few months. Moreover, chlorogomphid nymphs have very high requirements for water quality and are highly sensitive to factors such as environmental disturbance, stream damming, and water pollution. They are recognized by the scientific community as natural water quality indicator organisms, and the survival of their populations directly reflects the stability and quality of the regional ecological environment.
Source: "Today Chizhou," reposted from Dawan News (Xin'an Evening News) and Anhui Net (Authors: Xu Jia, Zhou Yuanjie)
Scan to open the current page on the phone
