Dragonflies of Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka has a rich dragonfly fauna. There are many species that are common to much of Asia and a number of endemics. Dragonflies can be found for most of the year, though many species have specific flight times. There are 117 species of which 52 are found nowhere else.

Download a checklist (pdf).

Endemic species and/or subspecies are marked with an asterisk (*).

Zygoptera
Calopterygoidea
Calopterygidae

  1. Neurobasis chinensis chinensis
  2. Vestalis apicalis nigrescens*

Chlorocyphidae (Libellaginidae)

  1. Libellago adami*
  2. Libellago finalis*
  3. Libellago greeni*
  4. Libellago corbeti* Newly described in 2009

Euphaeidae (Epallagidae)

  1. Euphaea splendens*

Lestoidea (Lestidoideae)
Lestidae

  1. Lestes praemorsus decipiens
  2. Lestes elatus
  3. Lestes malabarica
  4. Sinhalestes orientalis*
  5. Indolestes divisa*
  6. Indolestes gracilis gracilis*

Coenagrionoidea
Coenagrionidae (Cenagriidae, Agrionidae)

  1. Agriocnemis femina femina (not confirmed)
  2. Agriocnemis pygmaea
  3. Mortonagrion ceylonicum*
  4. Onychargia atrocyana
  5. Cercion malayanum
  6. Enallagma parvum
  7. Aciagrion occidentale
  8. Ischnura aurora aurora
  9. Ischnura senegalensis
  10. Ceriagrion cerinorubellum
  11. Ceriagrion coromandelianum
  12. Pseudagrion malabaricum
  13. Pseudagrion microcephalum
  14. Pseudagrion rubriceps ceylonicum*

Platycnemidae

  1. Copera marginipes

Platysticidae

  1. Drepanosticta adami*
  2. Drepanosticta austeni*
  3. Drepanosticta brincki*
  4. Drepanosticta digna*
  5. Drepanosticta fraseri*
  6. Drepanosticta hilaris*
  7. Drepanosticta lankanensis*
  8. Drepanosticta montana*
  9. Drepanosticta nietneri*
  10. Drepanosticta sinhalensis*
  11. Drepanosticta starmuhlneri*
  12. Drepanosticta submontana*
  13. Drepanosticta subtropica*
  14. Drepanosticta tropica*
  15. Drepanosticta walli*
  16. Platysticta apicalis*
  17. Platysticta maculata*

Protoneuridae

  1. Disparoneura ramajana*
  2. Elattoneura oculata (formerly bigemmata)*
  3. Elattoneura caesia*
  4. Elattoneura centralis*
  5. Elattoneura leucostigma*
  6. Elattoneura tenax*
  7. Prodasineura sita*

Anisoptera
Aeshnoidea
Gomphidae

  1. Anisogomphus solitaris*
  2. Burmagomphus pyramidalis sinuatus*
  3. Cyclogomphus gynostylus*
  4. Megalogomphus ceylonicus*
  5. Paragomphus henryi*
  6. Heliogomphus ceylonicus*
  7. Heliogomphus lyratus*
  8. Heliogomphus nietneri*
  9. Heliogomphus walli*
  10. Macrogomphus lankanensis*
  11. Macrogomphus annulatus keiseri*
  12. Microgomphus wijaya*
  13. Gomphidia pearsoni*
  14. Ictinogomphus rapax

Aeshnidae

  1. Anax guttatus
  2. Anax immaculifrons
  3. Anax indicus
  4. Hemianax ephippiger
  5. Gynacantha dravida
  6. Anaciaeshna donaldi

Libelluloidea
Corduliidae

  1. Epophthalmia vittata cyanocephala*
  2. Macromia flinti*
  3. Macromia zeylanica*

Libellulidae

  1. Hylaeothemis fruhstorferi*
  2. Tetrathemis yerburyi*
  3. Lyriothemis defonsekai* Newly described in 2009.
  4. Brachydiplax sobrina
  5. Cratilla lineata calverti
  6. Lathrecista asiatica asiatica
  7. Orthetrum chrysis
  8. Orthetrum glaucum
  9. Orthetrum luzonicum
  10. Orthetrum pruinosum neglectum
  11. Orthetrum sabina sabina
  12. Orthetrum triangulare triangulare
  13. Potomarcha congener
  14. Acisoma panorpoides panorpoides
  15. Brachythemis contaminata
  16. Bradinopyga geminata
  17. Crocothemis servilia
  18. Diplacodes nebulosa
  19. Diplacodes trivialis
  20. Indothemis carnatica
  21. Indothemis limbata sita
  22. Neurothemis intermedia intermedia
  23. Neurothemis tullia tullia
  24. Rhodothemis rufa
  25. Sympetrum fonscolombei
  26. Trithemis aurora
  27. Trithemis festiva
  28. Trithemis kirby kirby (not confirmed)
  29. Trithemis pallidinervis
  30. Onychothemis tokinenesis ceylanica
  31. Palpopleura sexmaculata sexmaculata (not confirmed)
  32. Rhyothemis triangularis
  33. Rhyothemis variegata variegata
  34. Hydrobasileus croceus
  35. Pantala flavescens
  36. Tramea basilaris burmeisteri
  37. Tramea limbata
  38. Tholymis tillarga
  39. Zyxomma petiolatum
  40. Aethriamanta brevipennis
  41. Macrodiplax cora
  42. Urothemis signata signata
  43. Zygonyx iris ceylonicus

After: A Guide to the Dragonflies of Sri Lanka by Terence de Fonseka, 2000. Updated March 17/10.

 Orthetrum chrysis
Orthetrum chrysis male

Orthetrum glaucum
Orthetrum glaucum

Ceriagrion cerinorubellum
Ceriagrion cerinorubellum