Check List 12(4): e19523, doi: 10.15560/12.4.1921
New locality records and range extensions for several threatened species of Odonata in Sri Lanka
expand article infoAmila P. Sumanapala, Divanka R. Podduwage§, Salindra K. Dayananda|
‡ Foundation for Nature Conservation and Preservation, Sri Lanka§ Young Zoologists’ Association, National Zoological Gardens, Sri Lanka| Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Open Access
Abstract
Sri Lanka is a tropical island nation with a rich Odonata fauna. About 50% of the recorded species from the country are currently known to be threatened with extinction at the national level. Many threatened species and newly discovered Odonata species in Sri Lanka lack reliable faunistic data, which is highly important for proper conservation assessments. An ongoing island wide Odonata survey was conducted opportunistically using visual encounter surveys that resulted in faunistic observations for over 80% of known species. We report 24 faunistic observations that result in range extensions for 10 species threatened with extinction, according to the findings of this ongoing survey. These records provide a better understanding of the current distribution of species, thus providing valuable information for future conservation assessments.
Keywords
faunistic records; range extension; threatened Odonata; Sri Lanka