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List of Odonata species of Sri Lanka

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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

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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.[1][2]

The 65 endemic species and marked with an asterisk (*).

Suborder: Zygoptera - Damselflies

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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

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Stream glory Neurobasis chinensis ssp.chinensis
Black-tipped forest glory Vestalis apicalis ssp.nigrescens*

Family: Chlorocyphidae - Jewels

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Adam's gem Libellago adami*
Ultima gem Libellago finalis*
Green's gem Libellago greeni*
Corbett's gem Libellago corbeti*

Family: Euphaeidae - Gossamerwings

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Shining gossamerwing Euphaea splendens*

Family: Lestidae - Spreadwings

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Sri Lanka reedling Indolestes divisus*
Mountain reedling Indolestes gracilis ssp.gracilis*
Emerald spreadwing Lestes elatus
Malabar spreadwing Lestes malabaricus
Scalloped spreadwing Lestes praemorsus ssp.decipiens
Emerald Sri Lanka spreadwing Sinhalestes orientalis*

Family: Coenagrionidae - Narrow-winged damselflies

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Green striped slender dartlet Aciagrion occidentale
Variable wisp Agriocnemis femina ssp.femina
Pygmy wisp Agriocnemis pygmaea
Azure dartlet Amphiallagma parvum
Lieftinck's sprite Archibasis lieftincki*
Long-banded bluetail Archibasis oscillans ssp. hanwellanensis*
Orange-tailed marsh dart Ceriagrion cerinorubellum
Coromandel marsh dart Ceriagrion coromandelianum
Golden dartlet Ischnura aurora ssp.aurora
Marsh bluetail Ischnura senegalensis


Sri Lanka midget Mortonagrion ceylonicum*
Three striped blue dart Pseudagrion decorum
Malabar sprite Pseudagrion malabaricum
Blue riverdamsel Pseudagrion microcephalum
Saffron-faced blue dart Pseudagrion rubriceps ssp.ceylonicum*

Family: Platycnemididae - Threadtails

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Two-spotted threadtail Elattoneura oculata*
Jungle threadtail Elattoneura caesia*
Dark-glittering threadtail Elattoneura centralis*
Smoky-winged threadtail Elattoneura leucostigma*


Red-striped threadtail Elattoneura tenax*
Stripe-headed threadtail Prodasineura sita*
Marsh dancer Onychargia atrocyana
Yellow bush dart Copera marginipes

Family: Platystictidae - Shadowdamsels

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Alwis's shadowdamsel Ceylonosticta alwisi*
Ana Mia's shadowdamsel Ceylonosticta anamia*
Bine's shadowdamsel Ceylonosticta bine*
Ceylonosticta mirifica*
Ceylonosticta mojca*
Alwisi's shadowdamsel Ceylonosticta nancyae*
Rupasinghe's shadowdamsel Ceylonosticta rupasinghe*
Ceylonosticta venusta*
Drepanosticta adami*
Drepanosticta austeni*
Brinck's shadowdamsel Drepanosticta brincki*
Nobel shadowdamsel Drepanosticta digna*
Merry shadowdamsel Drepanosticta hilaris*
Drooping shadowdamsel Drepanosticta lankanensis*
Dark knob-tipped shadowdamsel Drepanosticta montana*
Nietner's shadowdamsel Drepanosticta nietneri*


Bordered knob-tipped shadowdamsel Drepanosticta submontana*
Blue-shouldered cornuted shadowdamsel Drepanosticta subtropica*
Dark-shouldered cornuted shadowdamsel Drepanosticta tropica*
Wall's shadowdamsel Drepanosticta walli*
Dark forestwraith Platysticta apicalis*
Blurry forestdamsel Platysticta maculata*
Platysticta secreta*
Platysticta serendibica*

Suborder: Anisoptera - Dragonflies.

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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

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Donald's Hawker Anaciaeschna donaldi
Pale-spotted emperor Anax guttatus
Magnificent emperor Anax immaculifrons
Lesser green emperor Anax indicus
Black emperor Anax tristis
Vagrant emperor Anax ephippiger
Brown darner Gynacantha dravida
Gynacantha millardi

Family: Gomphidae - Club-tail dragonflies

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Anisogomphus ceylonensis*
Sinuate clubtail Burmagomphus pyramidalis ssp.sinuatus*
Cyclogomphus gynostylus*
Rivulet tiger Gomphidia pearsoni*
Lyrate grappletail Heliogomphus lyratus*

Nietner's grappletail Heliogomphus nietneri*
Wall's grappletail Heliogomphus walli*
Indian Common Clubtail Ictinogomphus rapax
Keiser's forktail Macrogomphus annulatus* ssp.keiseri*


Sri Lankan Forktail Macrogomphus lankanensis*
Microgomphus wijaya*
Sri Lanka sabretail Megalogomphus ceylonicus*
Brook hooktail Paragomphus henryi*
Paragomphus campestris*

Family: Macromiidae - Cruisers

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Common torrent hawk Epophthalmia vittata ssp.cyanocephala*
Macromia flinti*
Sri Lanka cruiser Macromia zeylanica*

Family: Libellulidae - Skimmers

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Asian pintail Acisoma panorpoides ssp.panorpoides
Scarlet marsh hawk Aethriamanta brevipennis ssp.brevipennis
Little Blue marsh hawk Brachydiplax sobrina
Ditch jewel Brachythemis contaminata
Granite ghost Bradinopyga geminata
Scarlet skimmer Crocothemis servilia ssp.servilia
Line forest-skimmer Cratilla lineata ssp.calverti
Black-tipped percher Diplacodes nebulosa
Chalky percher Diplacodes trivialis
Amber-winged marsh glider Hydrobasileus croceus
Fruhstorfer's junglewatcher Hylaeothemis fruhstorferi ssp.fruhstorferi*
Black marsh skimmer Indothemis carnatica
Restless demon Indothemis limbata ssp.sita
Asiatic blood tail Lathrecista asiatica ssp.asiatica
Lyriothemis defonsekai*
Coastal glider Macrodiplax cora
Paddyfield parasol Neurothemis intermedia ssp.intermedia
Pied paddy skimmer Neurothemis tullia
Aggressive riverhawk Onychothemis tonkinensis ssp.ceylanica
Spine-tufted skimmer Orthetrum chrysis
Blue marsh hawk Orthetrum glaucum
Marsh skimmer Orthetrum luzonicum
Crimson-tailed marsh hawk Orthetrum pruinosum ssp.neglectum
Slender skimmer Orthetrum sabina ssp.sabina
Blue-tailed forest hawk Orthetrum triangulare ssp.triangulare
Globe skimmer Pantala flavescens
Yellow-tailed ashy skimmer Potamarcha congener
Spine–legged redbolt Rhodothemis rufa
Sapphire flutterer Rhyothemis triangularis
Common picture wing Rhyothemis variegata ssp.variegata


Red-veined darter Sympetrum fonscolombii
Elf Tetrathemis yerburii*
Coral-tailed cloudwing Tholymis tillarga
Crimson marsh glider Trithemis aurora
Black stream glider Trithemis festiva


Dancing dropwing Trithemis pallidinervis
Keyhole glider Tramea basilaris ssp.burmeisteri
Black marsh trotter Tramea limbata
Greater crimson glider Urothemis signata ssp.signata
Emerald cascader Zygonyx iris ssp.ceylonicum
Long-tailed duskdarter Zyxomma petiolatum

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Priyadarshana, Tharaka Sudesh; Wijewardhane, Ishara Harshajith; Herath, Bimal Eranga (29 November 2016). "Three new species of the genus Ceylonosticta Fraser, 1931 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from Sri Lanka and the rediscovery of Ceylonosticta subtropica (Fraser, 1933". International Journal of Odonatology. 19 (4): 239–252. doi:10.1080/13887890.2016.1257443.
  2. ^ "[Entomology • 2016] Taxonomy and Molecular Phylogeny of the Platystictidae (Insecta: Odonata) of Sri Lanka". Species New to Science. International Journal of Odonatology. 15 December 2016.