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 indica

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
  2. Agriocnemis pygmaea
  3. Mortagrion 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 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 sp.
  6. Anaciaeshna martini

Libelluloidea
Corduliidae

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

Libellulidae

  1. Hylaeothemis fruhstorferi
  2. Tetrathemis yerburyi*
  3. Brachydiplax sobrina
  4. Cratilla lineata calverti
  5. Lathrecista asiatica asiatica
  6. Orthetrum chrysis
  7. Orthetrum glaucum
  8. Orthetrum luzonicum
  9. Orthetrum pruinosum neglectum
  10. Orthetrum sabina sabina
  11. Orthetrum triangulare triangulare
  12. Potomarcha congener
  13. Acisoma panorpoides panorpoides
  14. Brachythemis contaminata
  15. Bradinopyga geminata
  16. Crocothemis servilia
  17. Diplacodes nebulosa
  18. Diplacodes trivialis
  19. Indothemis carnatica
  20. Indothemis limbata sita
  21. Neurothemis intermedia intermedia
  22. Neurothemis tullia tullia
  23. Rhodothemis rufa
  24. Sympetrum fonscolombei
  25. Trithemis aurora
  26. Trithemis festiva
  27. Trithemis kirby kirby
  28. Trithemis pallidinervis
  29. Onychothemis tokinenesis ceylanica
  30. Palpopleura sexmaculata sexmaculata
  31. Rhyothemis triangularis
  32. Rhyothemis variegata variegata
  33. Hydrobasileus croceus
  34. Pantala flavescens
  35. Tramea basilaris burmeisteri
  36. Tramea limbata
  37. Tholymis tillarga
  38. Zyxomma petiolatum
  39. Aethriamanta brevipennis
  40. Macrodiplax cora
  41. Urothemis signata signata
  42. Zygonyx iris ceylonicus

From: A Guide to the Dragonflies of Sri Lanka by Terence de Fonseka, 2000
Orthetrum chrysis male


Orthetrum glaucum


Ceriagrion cerinorubellum