Scientists have recently revealed the discovery of a unique new cicada species named the 'Butterfly Cicada' in Meghalaya.

The newly discovered cicada belonging to the genus Becquartina, is the first record of this genus in the country which reflects the biodiversity of Meghalaya.

The cicada's colourful wings earned its nickname 'Butterfly Cicada' with it's species name 'bicolour' attributing to it's varied colour types.

Discovered around Balpakram National Park and Nongkhrah community forest, the cicada's structural and bioacoustic investigations reveal that it's a single species despite being found in different localities.

Endemic to the Garo hills and some districts of Meghalaya, it lies in the state of becoming a vulnerable species and their dwindling numbers call for a serious effort of resource conservation.

This cicada species thrives well in thicker vegetation and native environments with males exhibiting different calling patterns.

As much as it is important to conserve the species so is significant the habitat protection where the species can thrive well in community forests and protected forests thereby enriching the biodiversity.

The wings of the cicada show a unique pattern with one showing rich saffron spots and the other showing a greenish-brown fascia on the forewing.

The genus Becquartina has some six species found in South Asia for its famous colorful wings across Thailand, Vietnam and China etc.

This discovery was published in a journal called Zootaxa bringing the total count of species in this genus to seven.

Cicadas are insects that come from a larger family Cicadoidea and the order Hemiptera. They are either green or brown with black markings and four clear wings that make it look like a fly.

They are mostly harmless to people, plants and property.

Conservation of a species is essential in maintaining the geological and biological diversity on this planet. Against the background of receding flora and fauna, protecting different species becomes of paramount importance.

Different community programmes that collaborate with the government and active citizen support can cause to bring change faster than any legislation.

Declining species of the wildlife can potentially predict significant threats as the loss of one species is most of the times correlated with another.

Discovery of new species each time is also an exciting experience and delivers the wisdom to all of us that there's so much to discover about the biodiversity and related things.

Cicada species from Meghalaya again constitutes to become a matter of research and importance attributing it to being a new species in the genus.

.    .    .

References:

• shillongtimes.com
• insightsonindia.com
• www.chronicle.india.in