Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. The invertebrate fauna is as large as it is common to other regions of the world. There are approximately 2 million known species of arthropods, and this number continues to grow. Thus, it is difficult to determine the exact number of Odonata species within particular regions. The following is a list of the dragonflies and damselflies of Sri Lanka.
Dragonflies & Damselflies Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata.
Dragonflies are predators. The larvae inhabit water and adults fly near aquatic places. They are diverse in color and shape. There are major 2 types of odonates in the world; they are dragonflies and damselflies. The eyes are closer together in dragonflies, and their wings are held broadly opened from the body. They are robust in nature. In contrast, damselflies are delicately built small odonates, with well separated compound eyes. During rest, they do not expand their wings; the wings are folded over the abdomen or slightly spread.
Damselflies are categorized in to Suborder: Zygoptera; and dragonflies into Suborder: Anisoptera. 131 described species within 13 families can be found in Sri Lanka, with three new species in 2016.
The 65 endemic species and marked with an asterisk (*).
Suborder: Zygoptera - Damselflies Damselflies are insect s of suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller, have slimmer bodies, and most species fold the wings along the body when at rest. An ancient group, damselflies have existed since at least the Lower Permian, and are found on every continent except Antarctica.
All damselflies are predatory; both nymphs and adults eat other insects. The nymphs are aquatic, with different species living in a variety of freshwater habitats including acid bogs, ponds, lakes and rivers. The nymphs moult repeatedly, at the last moult climbing out of the water to undergo metamorphosis. The skin splits down the back, they emerge and inflate their wings and abdomen to gain their adult form. Their presence on a body of water indicates that it is relatively unpolluted, but their dependence on freshwater makes them vulnerable to damage to their wetland habitats.
64 Damselfly species can be found in Sri Lanka.
Family: Calopterygidae - Jewelwings Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male FemaleStream gloryNeurobasis chinensisssp.chinensisBlack-tipped forest gloryVestalis apicalisssp.nigrescens*
Family: Chlorocyphidae - Jewels Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male FemaleAdam's gemLibellago adami*Ultima gemLibellago finalis*Green's gemLibellago greeni*Corbett's gemLibellago corbeti*
Family: Euphaeidae - Gossamerwings Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male FemaleShining gossamerwingEuphaea splendens*
Family: Lestidae - Spreadwings Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male FemaleSri Lanka reedlingIndolestes divisus*Mountain reedlingIndolestes gracilisssp.gracilis*Emerald spreadwingLestes elatusMalabar spreadwingLestes malabaricusScalloped spreadwingLestes praemorsusssp.decipiensEmerald Sri Lanka spreadwingSinhalestes orientalis*
Family: Coenagrionidae - Narrow-winged damselflies Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male FemaleGreen striped slender dartletAciagrion occidentaleVariable wispAgriocnemis feminassp.feminaPygmy wispAgriocnemis pygmaeaAzure dartletAmphiallagma parvumLieftinck's spriteArchibasis lieftincki*Long-banded bluetailArchibasis oscillansssp. hanwellanensis*Orange-tailed marsh dartCeriagrion cerinorubellumCoromandel marsh dartCeriagrion coromandelianumGolden dartletIschnura aurorassp.auroraMarsh bluetailIschnura senegalensisSri Lanka midgetMortonagrion ceylonicum*Three striped blue dartPseudagrion decorumMalabar spritePseudagrion malabaricumBlue riverdamselPseudagrion microcephalumSaffron-faced blue dartPseudagrion rubricepsssp.ceylonicum*
Family: Platycnemididae - Threadtails Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male FemaleTwo-spotted threadtailElattoneura oculata*Jungle threadtailElattoneura caesia*Dark-glittering threadtailElattoneura centralis*Smoky-winged threadtailElattoneura leucostigma*Red-striped threadtailElattoneura tenax*Stripe-headed threadtailProdasineura sita*Marsh dancerOnychargia atrocyanaYellow bush dartCopera marginipes
Family: Platystictidae - Shadowdamsels Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male FemaleAlwis's shadowdamselCeylonosticta alwisi*Ana Mia's shadowdamselCeylonosticta anamia*Bine's shadowdamselCeylonosticta bine*Ceylonosticta mirifica*Ceylonosticta mojca*Alwisi's shadowdamselCeylonosticta nancyae*Rupasinghe's shadowdamselCeylonosticta rupasinghe*Ceylonosticta venusta*Drepanosticta adami*Drepanosticta austeni*Brinck's shadowdamselDrepanosticta brincki*Nobel shadowdamselDrepanosticta digna*Merry shadowdamselDrepanosticta hilaris*Drooping shadowdamselDrepanosticta lankanensis*Dark knob-tipped shadowdamselDrepanosticta montana*Nietner's shadowdamselDrepanosticta nietneri*Bordered knob-tipped shadowdamselDrepanosticta submontana*Blue-shouldered cornuted shadowdamselDrepanosticta subtropica*Dark-shouldered cornuted shadowdamselDrepanosticta tropica*Wall's shadowdamselDrepanosticta walli*Dark forestwraithPlatysticta apicalis*Blurry forestdamselPlatysticta maculata*Platysticta secreta*Platysticta serendibica*
Suborder: Anisoptera - Dragonflies. A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, suborder Anisoptera (from Greek ἄνισος anisos "uneven" and πτερόν pteron, "wing", because the hindwing is broader than the forewing). Adult dragonflies are characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold the wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural coloration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly eye has nearly 24,000 ommatidia.
Dragonflies are predators, both in their aquatic larval stage, when they are known as nymphs or naiads, and as adults. Several years of their lives are spent as nymphs living in fresh water; the adults may be on the wing for just a few days or weeks. They are fast, agile fliers, sometimes migrating across oceans, and are often found near water.
There are 65 Dragonfly species can be found in Sri Lanka.
Family: Aeshnidae - Hawkers Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male FemaleDonald's HawkerAnaciaeschna donaldiPale-spotted emperorAnax guttatusMagnificent emperorAnax immaculifronsLesser green emperorAnax indicusBlack emperorAnax tristisVagrant emperorAnax ephippigerBrown darnerGynacantha dravidaGynacantha millardi
Family: Gomphidae - Club-tail dragonflies Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male FemaleAnisogomphus ceylonensis*Sinuate clubtailBurmagomphus pyramidalisssp.sinuatus*Cyclogomphus gynostylus*Rivulet tigerGomphidia pearsoni*Lyrate grappletailHeliogomphus lyratus*Nietner's grappletailHeliogomphus nietneri*Wall's grappletailHeliogomphus walli*Indian Common ClubtailIctinogomphus rapaxKeiser's forktailMacrogomphus annulatus*ssp.keiseri*Sri Lankan ForktailMacrogomphus lankanensis*Microgomphus wijaya*Sri Lanka sabretailMegalogomphus ceylonicus*Brook hooktailParagomphus henryi*Paragomphus campestris*
Family: Macromiidae - Cruisers Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male FemaleCommon torrent hawkEpophthalmia vittatassp.cyanocephala*Macromia flinti*Sri Lanka cruiserMacromia zeylanica*
Family: Libellulidae - Skimmers Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male FemaleAsian pintailAcisoma panorpoidesssp.panorpoidesScarlet marsh hawkAethriamanta brevipennisssp.brevipennisLittle Blue marsh hawkBrachydiplax sobrinaDitch jewelBrachythemis contaminataGranite ghostBradinopyga geminataScarlet skimmerCrocothemis serviliassp.serviliaLine forest-skimmerCratilla lineatassp.calvertiBlack-tipped percherDiplacodes nebulosaChalky percherDiplacodes trivialisAmber-winged marsh gliderHydrobasileus croceusFruhstorfer's junglewatcherHylaeothemis fruhstorferissp.fruhstorferi*Black marsh skimmerIndothemis carnaticaRestless demonIndothemis limbatassp.sitaAsiatic blood tailLathrecista asiaticassp.asiaticaLyriothemis defonsekai*Coastal gliderMacrodiplax coraPaddyfield parasolNeurothemis intermediassp.intermediaPied paddy skimmerNeurothemis tulliaAggressive riverhawkOnychothemis tonkinensisssp.ceylanicaSpine-tufted skimmerOrthetrum chrysisBlue marsh hawkOrthetrum glaucumMarsh skimmerOrthetrum luzonicumCrimson-tailed marsh hawkOrthetrum pruinosumssp.neglectumSlender skimmerOrthetrum sabinassp.sabinaBlue-tailed forest hawkOrthetrum triangularessp.triangulareGlobe skimmerPantala flavescensYellow-tailed ashy skimmerPotamarcha congenerSpine–legged redboltRhodothemis rufaSapphire fluttererRhyothemis triangularisCommon picture wingRhyothemis variegatassp.variegataRed-veined darterSympetrum fonscolombiiElfTetrathemis yerburii*Coral-tailed cloudwingTholymis tillargaCrimson marsh gliderTrithemis auroraBlack stream gliderTrithemis festivaDancing dropwingTrithemis pallidinervisKeyhole gliderTramea basilarisssp.burmeisteriBlack marsh trotterTramea limbataGreater crimson gliderUrothemis signatassp.signataEmerald cascaderZygonyx irisssp.ceylonicumLong-tailed duskdarterZyxomma petiolatum
See also List of Odonata species of Britain List of Odonata species of Ireland List of Odonata species of India List of Odonata species of South Africa List of Odonata species of Taiwan
References
Sumanapala, A. P. (2017). A Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Sri Lanka. Ceylon Tea Services Pvt. Ltd. https://web.archive.org/web/20140725183434/http://www.srilankaninsects.net/Dragonflies/Dragonflies.htm http://journals.sjp.ac.lk/index.php/JTFE/article/view/593 https://web.archive.org/web/20140728134407/http://www.odonatologica.com/Web/abstracts/pdf/42-3.pdf