The Tropical Bluetail damselfly, common and widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, has been spotted in the northern city of Paju for the first time as the insect moves northward amid an overall warming climate.

The National Institute of Biological Resources said on Tuesday that the damselfly was identified in the Gyeonggi city of Paju, located at a latitude of 37-point-seven degrees north, for the first time. This type of damselfly had been spotted around Busan, located at 35 to 36 degrees north, for two decades since the 1980s.

The Tropical Bluetail, which has a greenish blue and black marking on the thorax and is a bright cobalt blue on the abdominal tip, is commonly found in Africa and the Middle East. Ecologists use this insect as an indicator species to monitor climate change.

The institute assessed that the Tropical Bluetail has steadily moved northward over the past four decades. It projected that they will be spotted in Goseong, Gangwon Province, located above 38 degrees north latitude, in the 2070s when considering environmental factors and possible climate change scenarios.