List of coleopterans of Sri Lanka explained
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 about 2 million species of arthropods found in the world, and more are still being discovered to this day. This makes it very complicated and difficult to summarize the exact number of species found within a certain region.
This is a list of the coleopterans found from Sri Lanka, using recent family-level classification:[1]
Beetle
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Beetles are a group of insects that form the order Coleoptera. They have two pairs of wings, the front pair, the "elytra", being hardened and thickened into a shell-like protection for the rear pair and the beetle's abdomen. The order contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known animal life-forms. About 40% of all described insect species are beetles (about 400,000 species), and new species are discovered frequently. The largest taxonomic family, the Curculionidae (the weevils or snout beetles), also belongs to this order.
The diversity of beetles is very wide-ranging. They are found in almost all types of habitats, but are not known to occur in the sea or in the polar regions. In Sri Lanka, particular beetle families are extensively studied,[2] [3] but some others not at all.[4] Most of the studies beetles are due to the fact that they are pests for many cultivations.[5] Numerous works had been done in the 1980s and 1990s by foreign scientists such as Arrow (1910-1931), Franz (1982), Hammond (1972), Hansen (1999), Chatterjee (1924) and Bonadona (1986). The knowledge by local investigators opened in the early 2000s and in 2003, Prof. Dangalle studies heavily on tiger beetles. Then in 2013, Dr. Qader et al. studies beetles in Western province to find their ecological niches and distribution.[6] Weevils were studied by Prof. Gunawardena since 1993 and predatory Coccinellid beetles were studies by Dr. S Mayadunnage.[7] [8] In 2002, Poorani described the updated version of the annotated checklist of the Coccinellidae fauna of the Indian subcontinent, in which 83 species of ladybirds are listed from Sri Lanka.[9] The members of subfamily Melolonthinae also been documented by Brinck, Anderson, and Cederholm. In 1979, Mohamed S. Mohamedsaid studied the taxonomy and distribution of the blister beetles of Sri Lanka. He described 7 genera with 15 species from the family Meloidae.[10] In 2020, one rove beetle and four dung beetles were described from Salgala, Aranayake the Knuckles Range, and Alic Land Estate, Kegalle.[11] [12]
According to Channa Bambaradeniya et al., 3,033 species of coleopterans belongs to 115 families[13] are recorded from Sri Lanka, which comprises the largest animal group in Sri Lanka.[14]
Species count
Family: Aderidae - ant-like leaf beetles
- Aderus concolor
- Aderus crassipes
- Aderus dikoyanus
- Aderus nigropictus
- Aderus orientalis
- Aderus scoparius
- Aderus taprobanus
- Euxylophilus principalis
Family: Anthicidae - Ant-like beetles
- Amblyderus bigibber
- Amblyderus brincki
- Amblyderus thoracinus
- Anthelephila anderssoni
- Anthelephila besucheti
- Anthelephila braminus
- Anthelephila burckhardti
- Anthelephila consul
- Anthelephila insulana
- Anthelephila opiatus
- Anthicus semirubidus
- Endomia besucheti
- Endomia castelsi
- Endomia ceylonica
- Laena formaneki
- Leptaleus brincki
- Mecynotarsus cederholmi
- Mecynotarsus flinti
- Notoxus brinckianus
- Notoxus ravana
- Phalantias besucheti
- Phalantias loebli
- Phalantias mussardi
- Phalantias praeclarus
- Pseudoleptaleus argutus
- Pseudoleptaleus baloghi
- Pseudoleptaleus basirufus
- Pseudoleptaleus yalaensis
- Pseudonotoxus cederholmi
- Pseudonotoxus ekesi
- Pseudonotoxus minutus
- Sapintus barbei
- Sapintus brincki
- Sapintus capitatus
- Sapintus flinti
- Tomoderus anderssoni
- Tomoderus discisus
- Tomoderus mussardi
- Tomoderus terrenus
Family: Anthribidae - Fungus weevils
- Acorynus ceylonicus
- Acorynus cinereomaculatus
- Acorynus cingalus
- Acorynus dohrni
- Acorynus labidus
- Acorynus passerinus
- Apolecta nietneri
- Araecerus fragilis
- Araecerus intangens
- Araecerus irresolutus
- Araecerus pardalis
- Araecerus pumilus
- Atinellia senex
- Basitropis nitidicutis
- Caccorhinus brunnipennis
- Caccorhinus disconotatus
- Contexta murina
- Dendrotrogus colligens
- Dendrotrogus hypocrita
- Directarius bifoveatus
- Disphaerona picta
- Disphaerona punctata
- Disphaerona verrucosus
- Exechesops horni
- Exechesops molitor
- Habrissus asellus
- Habrissus tibialis
- Hybosternus mesosternalis
- Hypseus dilectus
- Litocerus annulipes
- Litocerus crucicollis
- Litocerus semiustus
- Mauia subnotata
- Mecotropis bipunctatus
- Mecotropis gardneri
- Melanopsacus ceylonicus
- Misthosima separ
- Phaulimia caena
- Phaulimia disticha
- Phaulimia schaumi
- Phloeobius alternans
- Phloeobius ceylonicus
- Rhaphitropis tamilis
- Straboscopus revocans
- Straboscopus riehli
- Sympaector angulifer
- Tropideres verrucosus
- Tropidobasis gemella
- Ulorhinus distichus
- Uncifer diffinis
- Urodon maculatus
- Urodon nigripes
- Urodon tantillus
- Xenocerus khasianus
- Xenocerus mesosternalis
- Xenocerus rectilineatus
- Xylinada tamilanus
- Xylinada indigus
- Zygaenodes horni
- Zygaenodes molitor
Family: Attelabidae - Leaf-rolling weevils
- Apoderus dohrni
- Apoderus hystrix
- Apoderus nietneri
- Apoderus pulchellus
- Apoderus pullus
- Apoderus scitulus
- Apoderus tranquebaricus
- Apoderus verrucosus
- Asynaptops colombensis
- Attelabus hystrix
- Attelabus octospilotus
- Attelabus tranquebaricus
- Centrocorynus dohrni
- Centrocorynus pulchellus
- Euops metallica
- Euops nietneri
- Euops suffundens
- Henicolabus octospilotus
- Hoplapoderus echinatus
- Hoplapoderus hystrix
- Hoplapoderus nepalensis
- Mechoris ursulus
- Paracycnotrachelus nietneri
- Strigapoderus ceylonicus
Family: Biphyllidae - False Skin beetles
- Biphyllus minutus
- Diplocoelus indicus
Family: Bothrideridae - Cocoon-forming beetles
- Ascetoderes bituberculatus
- Dastarcus porosus
- Leptoglyphus cristatus
- Machlotes cognatus
Family: Brachyceridae - Tertiary-brachycerid weevils
- Amblyrrhinus posticus
- Desmidophorus caelatus
- Desmidophorus communicans
- Desmidophorus discriminans
- Desmidophorus fasciculicollis
- Desmidophorus inexpertus
- Desmidophorus obliquefasciatus
- Desmidophorus strenuus
- Phytonomus ochraceus
Family: Brentidae - Straight-snouted weevils
- Cerobates sumatranus
- Cyphagogus westwoodii
- Orychodes planicollis
- Trachelizus bisulcatus
Family: Buprestidae - Jewel beetles
Family: Cantharidae - Soldier beetle
- Caccodes extensicornis
- Maltypus bibilensis
- Maltypus kokagalaensis
- Maltypus pidurutalagalanus
- Microichthyurus sublateralis
- Microichthyurus sylvicola
- Silis ekisi
- Silis incisa
Family: Carabidae - Ground beetles
Family: Cerambycidae - Longhorn beetles
Family: Cerylonidae - Minute bark beetles
- Axiocerylon brincki
- Cerylon gracilipes
- Cerylon quadricolle
- Cerylon tibiale
- Cerylon unicolor
- Ectomicrus aper
- Ectomicrus setosus
- Metaxestus bicolor
- Monotoma longicollis
- Murmidius bifasciatus
- Neolapethus orientalis
Family: Ciidae - Minute tree-fungus beetles
- Cis contendens
- Cis coriarius
- Xylographus ceylonicus
- Xylographus ritsemai
Family: Clambidae - Fringe-winged beetles
Family: Cleridae - Checkered beetles
Family: Cucujidae - Flat bark beetles
- Aulonosoma tenebrioides
- Cryptolestes divaricatus
- Cryptolestes ferrugineus
- Cryptolestes klapperichi
- Laemophloeus atratulus
- Laemophloeus coloratus
- Laemophloeus foveolatus
- Laemophloeus hypocrita
- Laemophloeus incertus
- Laemophloeus insinuans
- Narthecius bicolor
- Narthecius truncatipennis
- Notolaemus lewisi
- Passandra uniformis
- Placonotus orientalis
- Placonotus subtestaceus
- Placonotus torsus
- Xylolestes krombeini
- Xylolestes laevior
Family: Curculionidae - True weevils and bark beetles
Family: Dermestidae - Skin beetles
- Aphanocephalus lewisi
- Aphanocephalus pellitus
- Aphanocephalus rufinus
- Aphanocephalus saundersi
- Parafallia simoni
Family: Dryopidae - Long-toed water beetles
Family: Dytiscidae - Predaceous diving beetles
Family: Elateridae - Click beetles
Family: Elmidae - Riffle beetles
Family: Endomychidae - Handsome fungus beetles
Family: Erotylidae - Pleasing fungus beetles
Family: Eucinetidae - Plate-thigh beetles
Family: Gyrinidae - Whirligig beetles
Family: Heteroceridae - Variegated mud-loving beetles
Family: Histeridae - Clown beetles
Family: Hybosoridae - Scavenger scarab beetles
Family: Hydrophilidae - Water scavenger beetles
Family: Jacobsoniidae - Jacobson's beetles
Family: Latridiidae - Minute brown scavenger beetles
Family: Limnichidae - Minute mud beetles
- Byrrhinus cribrosus
- Byrrhinus latus
- Pelochares gibbipennis
- Pelochares orientalis
- Pelochares rugiventrus
- Pelochares sulciger
Family: Lucanidae - Stag beetles
- Aegus chelifer - ssp. kandiensis, chelifer
- Calcodes carinatus
- Calcodes cingalensis
- Dinonigidius bartolozzii
- Dinonigidius ahenobarbus
- Dorcus bennigseni
- Dorcus henryi
- Figulus aratus
- Figulus horni
- Figulus interruptus
- Figulus nitens
- Neolucanus sinicus - ssp. championi
- Odontolabis cingalensis
- Platyfigulus scorpio
- Prosopocoilus henryi
- Serrognathus gypaetus
Family: Lycidae - Net-winged beetles
- Atelius acutecornis
- Cautires ceylonicus
- Cautires krombeini
- Ditoneces hirsutus
- Ditoneces hispidus
- Falsotrichalus lankaensis
- Lyropaeus ceylonicus
- Lyropaeus tamil
- Melaneros bicoloratus
- Melaneros inermis
- Melaneros kejvali
- Melaneros oculeus
- Melaneros uzeli
- Plateros aliquantulus
- Plateros arcuatus
- Plateros bidentatus
- Plateros firmus
- Plateros flexuosus
- Plateros kandiensis
- Plateros kleinei
- Plateros lanceolatus
- Plateros leechi
- Plateros nigrostriatus
- Plateros persubtilis
- Plateros portentificus
- Plateros pseudodispellens
- Plateros reconditus
- Plateros reflexus
- Plateros tenuis
- Plateros uncus
- Plateros vagatus
- Plateros viduus
- Plateros volatus
- Xylobanus minusculus
- Xylobanus villosus
Family: Lymexylidae - Ship-timber beetles
Family: Meloidae - Blister beetles
Family: Monotomidae - Root-eating beetles
Family: Mordellidae - Pintail beetles
Family: Mycetophagidae - Hairy fungus beetles
- Berginus maindroni
- Litargus taprobanoe
Family: Mycteridae - Palm and flower beetles
Family: Nosodendridae - Wounded-tree beetles
Family: Noteridae - Burrowing water beetles
Family: Oedemeridae - False blister beetles
Family: Omethidae - False soldier beetles
- Drilonius ceylanicus
- Drilonius keiseri
- Drilonius testaceicollis
Family: Passalidae - Bess beetles
- Aceraius comptoni
- Aceraius laevicollis
- Episphenus comptoni
- Episphenus flachi
- Episphenus moorei
- Leptaulax bicolor
- Macrolinus cartereti
- Macrolinus crenatipennis
- Macrolinus obesus
- Macrolinus rotundifrons
- Macrolinus waterhousei
- Stephanocephalus redtenbacheri
- Taeniocerus bicanthatus
Family: Prostomidae - Jugular-horned beetles
- Dryocora simoni
- Prostomis schlegeli
Family: Psephenidae - Water-penny beetles
- Eubrianax ceylonicus
- Eubrianax lioneli
- Macroeubria ceylonica
- Odontanax flinti
Family: Ptiliidae - Feather-wing beetles
- Acrotrichis discoloroides
- Acrotrichis orientalis
- Ptilodactyla apicicornis
- Ptilodactyla humeralis
Family: Ptinidae - Spider beetles
- Myrmecoptinus subsuturalis
- Ptinus brevithorax
- Ptinus lemoldes
- Ptinus nigerrimus
Family: Rhynchitidae - Tooth-nosed snout weevils
- Arodepus marginellus
- Auletobius subgranulatus
- Auletobius testaceipennis
- Caenorhinus fuscipennis
- Caenorhinus marginatus
- Caenorhinus rufipallens
- Cartorhynchites flavipedestris
- Elautobius horni
- Epirhynchites giganteus
- Eugnamptobius flavipes
- Maculinvolvulus vestitoides
- Maculorhinus fasciatus
- Metarhynchites nalandaicus
- Metarhynchites parvulus
- Parinvolvulus ceylonensis
- Pseudodeporaus ceylonensis
- Pseudomesauletes ceylonicus
- Pseudomesauletes gallensis
- Pseudomesauletes maculatus
- Synaptops suffundens
- Thompsonirhinus amictus
- Thompsonirhinus ceylonensis
- Thompsonirhinus clavatus
- Thompsonirhinus restituens
Family: Salpingidae - Narrow-waisted bark beetles
- Elacatis ceylanicus
- Elacatis lyncca
- Lissodema ceylonicum
- Lissodema lewisi
- Ocholissa bicolor
- Rhinosimus ceylonicus
Family: Scarabaeidae - Scarab beetles
Subfamily: Aphodiinae - Aphodiine dung beetles
- Apogonia aequabilis
- Apogonia blanchardi
- Apogonia cava
- Apogonia comosa
- Apogonia coriacea
- Apogonia expeditonis
- Apogonia ferruginea
- Apogonia fulvosetosa
- Apogonia gracilis
- Apogonia laevissima
- Apogonia lateralis
- Apogonia lurida
- Apogonia nana
- Apogonia nietneri
- Apogonia prolixa
- Apogonia rauca
- Apogonia solida
- Autoserica dubia
- Autoserica pubescens
- Autoserica srilanka
- Brahmina flavipennis
- Dichelomorpha glabrilinea
- Dichelomorpha punctuligera
- Engertia maculosa
- Holotrichia ceylonensis
- Holotrichia convexifrons
- Holotrichia danielssoni
- Holotrichia disparilis
- Holotrichia eurystoma
- Holotrichia furcifer
- Holotrichia inducta
- Holotrichia kandulawai
- Holotrichia opuana
- Holotrichia parva
- Holotrichia remorata
- Holotrichia reynaudi
- Holotrichia rufoflava
- Holotrichia schmitzi
- Holotrichia semitomentosa
- Holotrichia serrata
- Holotrichia setosa
- Idiochelyna pectoralis
- Lepidiota ferruginosa
- Leucopholis horni
- Leucopholis pinguis
- Maladera breviata
- Maladera calcarata
- Maladera cardoni
- Maladera chalybaea
- Maladera cinnaberina
- Maladera coxalis
- Maladera fistulosa
- Maladera immunita
- Maladera implicata
- Maladera insanabilis
- Maladera rotunda
- Maladera rufocuprea
- Maladera setosa
- Maladera singhalensis
- Maladera straba
- Maladera weligamana
- Neoserica bombycina
- Neoserica sexfoliata
- Neoserica splendifica
- Periserica fracta
- Periserica nigripennis
- Periserica picta
- Rhizotrogus aequalis
- Rhizotrogus hirtipectus
- Rhizotrogus sulcifer
- Schizonycha ruficollis
- Schizonycha singhalensis
- Selaserica nitida
- Selaserica pusilla
- Selaserica scutellaris
- Selaserica sericea
- Serica distincticornis
- Serica fusa
- Serica hamifera
- Serica interrupta
- Serica lurida
- Serica maculicauda
- Serica maculifera
- Serica nana
- Serica nepalensis
- Serica rubescens
- Serica semicincta
- Serica ventriosa
- Sophrops costatus
- Sophrops eurystomus
- Sophrops singhalensis
- Stephanopholis cribricollis
- Stephanopholis rubicundus
- Stephanopholis singhalensis
Subfamily: Rutelinae - Shining Flower Chafers
- Adoretus bicaudatus
- Adoretus celogaster
- Adoretus chloronota
- Adoretus conformis
- Adoretus corpulentus
- Adoretus discalis
- Adoretus discors
- Adoretus duplicatus
- Adoretus dussumieri
- Adoretus erythrocephalus
- Adoretus feminalis
- Adoretus fracta
- Adoretus gravida
- Adoretus illusa
- Adoretus infantilis
- Adoretus leo
- Adoretus pellucida
- Adoretus procrastinator
- Adoretus ruficapilla
- Adoretus sorex
- Adoretus superflua
- Adoretus suturalis
- Adoretus varicolor
- Adoretus versutus
- Adoretus viridis
- Adoretus walkeri
- Callistethus bugnioni
- Callistethus chloromelus
- Callistethus princeps
- Lepadoretus compressus
- Lepadoretus ermineus
- Lepadoretus mavis
- Lepadoretus nietneri
- Micranomala cingalensis
- Mimela macleayana
- Mimela mundissima
- Parastasia basalis
- Parastasia cingala
- Parastasia lobata
- Popillia discalis
- Rhamphadoretus sorex
- Rhinyptia gilleti
- Rhinyptia meridionalis
- Singhala hindu
- Singhala tenella
- Trogonostomus ursus
Family: Scirtidae - Marsh beetles
- Cyphon besucheti
- Cyphon pseudoatratus
Family: Scraptiidae - False flower beetles
- Scraptia cingalensis
- Scraptia compressicollis
- Scraptia flavidula
- Scraptia fuscipennis
- Scraptia indica
- Scraptia setipes
- Scraptia xylophiloides
Family: Scydmaenidae - Ant-like stone beetles
Family: Silphidae - Carrion beetles
Family: Silvanidae - Silvan flat bark beetles
Family: Staphylinidae - Rove beetles
Family: Tenebrionidae - Darkling beetles
Family: Trogidae - Hide beetles
Family: Vesperidae - Vesperid longicorn beetles
Family: Zopheridae - Ironclad beetles
Notes and References
- Bouchard . P. . Bousquet . Y. . Davies . A. . Alonso-Zarazaga . M. . Lawrence . J. . Lyal . C. . Newton . A. . Reid . C. . Schmitt . M. . Ślipiński . A. . Smith . A. . Family-group names in Coleoptera (Insecta) . ZooKeys . 2011 . 88 . 1–972 . 10.3897/zookeys.88.807 . 21594053. 3088472. free .
- Anatomy of the smallest coleoptera, featherwing beetles of the tribe nanosellini (Coleoptera, Ptiliidae), and limits of insect miniaturization . Entomological Review. 88. March 2008 . Polilov, A.A . 26–33. 10.1134/S0013873808010041 . 23604779.
- Web site: Checklist of longicorn coleoptera of Sri Lanka (1) Vesperidae and Cerambycidae excluding Lamiinae . ffpri . 22 September 2016 . Mannakkara, Amani., Makihara, K..
- Web site: Scirtidae (Coleoptera), aquatic larvae, Sri Lanka . Pest net . 22 September 2016.
- Web site: Common Insects Of Sri Lanka . Butterfly Conservation Society of Sri Lanka . 22 September 2016 . Wellappuli Arachchi, Supun.
- Web site: STUDY ON COLEOPTERAN FAUNA IN SOIL AND LITTER OF WAGA NATURAL. FOREST RESERVE IN SRI LANKA . Open University of Sri Lanka . 22 September 2016.
- Web site: Predatory Coccinellids (Coleoptera: Cocinellidae) of Vegetables in Sri Lanka . Tropical Agricultural Research Vol.19 . 22 September 2016 . 69–77.
- Web site: Rhynchophorus ferrugineus attractants . National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka . 22 September 2016.
- Web site: An annotated checklist of the Coccinellidae fauna of the Indian subregion . 2021-06-17 . Project Directorate of Biological Control.
- Web site: The Blister Beetle (Meloidae) of Sri Lanka . 2021-06-17 . Ceylon Journal of Science (Biological Sciences) 13(1&2):203-251.
- Ranasinghe . Sasanka . Eberle . Jonas . Benjamin . Sresh P. . Ahrens . Dirk . 2020-04-01 . New species of Sericini from Sri Lanka (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) . 2021-08-22 . European Journal of Taxonomy . 621 . en . 10.5852/ejt.2020.621. 216436939 . free .
- Jałoszyński . Paweł . 2020-01-03 . Clidicus minilankanus sp. n., with notes on remaining Sri Lankan Clidicus species (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae) . 2021-08-22 . Zootaxa . 4718 . 1 . 87–94 . 10.11646/zootaxa.4718.1.7. 32230043 . 213971376 .
- Book: The Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research, and Conservation . 23 January 2016 . Bambaradeniya, Channa N. B.. 9789558177518 . 2006 .
- Web site: Coleoptera in Sri Lanka . insectoid . 22 September 2016.
- Web site: Balkenohl . Michael . 2021-10-21 . Revisiting the Oriental genus Syleter Andrewes, 1941 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Clivinini) . 2022-07-16 . Revue suisse de Zoologie . 10.35929/RSZ.0050.