Scientists have
recently identified anew
species of waspfrom the genusKudakrumia in Goa. The
wasp, Kudakrumia rangnekari, has been named after Goa-based researcherParag Rangnekar.It
belongs to genusKudakrumia.The
Kudakrumia is agenus
of primitive waspsthat is described and previously knownonly from Sri Lanka.
The new species was collectedCotigao Wildlife
sanctuary.The Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary is located
inSouth Goa
district, of Goa. The sanctuary was established in1968.
Wasp:
A wasp is any insect of the orderHymenoptera and suborder
Apocritathat is neither a bee nor an ant. Wasps are adept
at controlling pest populations and are regularly deployed to protect crops.
For example, in Brazil, farmers control sugarcane borers with a kind of
parasitic wasp.
Mr.Rangnekar:
Mr.Rangnekar’s quest to document the butterflies
of this unique region resulted in a record of220 species, of which 13 specieshad
not been spotted before.
Mr. Rangnekar, who is the founder-president of
theGoa Bird
Conservation Network (GBCN),has now taken up the
documentation of the dragonflies in the State. He wrote‘Butterflies of Goa’,a
first field guide with photographs of the species found in Goa region.
