#News | Researchers from Assam Don Bosco University and Debraj Roy College (Autonomous), Golaghat, have discovered a new species of firefly in Meghalaya's Mawsynram and named it Pygoluciola mawsynram after the world's wettest place where it was first identified. The discovery, published in the Asian Journal of Conservation Biology, increases the number of recognised species in the Pygoluciola genus worldwide from 28 to 29 and raises the number of recorded species in India to five. The new species was identified by researchers Emma Magdalene Nonglang, Dhiraj Kumar Das, Samrat Sengupta and Jane Wanry Shangpliang during field surveys conducted in May 2024 across Mawsynram in East Khasi Hills district. Over a 10-day survey, the team explored grasslands, scrublands and semi-evergreen forests, finding the firefly at only 10 of the 29 surveyed locations, indicating that it may have a limited distribution. According to the researchers, the species was named after Mawsynram to recognise the area's exceptional biodiversity and honour the Khasi community, whose traditional conservation practices have helped preserve sacred groves, forests and other natural habitats. Detailed morphological studies and DNA-based phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Pygoluciola mawsynram is a distinct species representing a separate evolutionary lineage within the Pygoluciola genus. The researchers observed adult fireflies flying near streams, waterfalls and densely vegetated semi-evergreen forests, suggesting that Mawsynram's humid environment and rich leaf litter are vital to the species' survival. They said the discovery highlights how much of India's firefly diversity remains unexplored and stressed that more extensive surveys across Northeast India could reveal many more undocumented insect species.