A rare species of vanishing delicate lacewing, Apochrysa evanida, has been rediscovered after 128 years by a team of researchers from Shadpada Entomology Research Lab (SERL), Christ College Irinjalakuda, Thrissur.

This species was rediscovered in the Western Ghats at Valliyoorkavu, Wayanad.

Suryanarayanan T.B., PhD student, and Bijoy C., assistant professor, Christ College, are behind this discovery.

“This forms the first report of Apochrysa evanida in the Western Ghats. Though the larval stage of this species was reported a year ago from Bengaluru, the adult insect was not yet recorded since its first discovery in 1893 by Gerstaecker,” says Dr. Bijoy.

The insect belongs to the family Chrysopidae or green lacewings of the order Neuroptera. The findings are published in the recent issue of national scientific journal Entomon. Apochrysa evanida is the third species under the subfamily Apochrysinae reported from the country. The research was conducted with financial assistance from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).