List of scorpions 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 still it is counting. So many new species are discover up to this time also. So it is very complicated and difficult to summarize the exact number of species found within a certain region.

The following list provide the scorpions in Sri Lanka.

Scorpions

Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones

Scorpions are easily identified by their large pedipalas and curved tail above the head. There are about 1,750 species of scorpions described within 13 families. Sri Lanka is home for 20 scorpions under 4 families and 9 genera. Whilst all scorpions are venomous, only one species native to Sri Lanka is fatal to humans. During the field survey conducted throughout the country in 2016, new species have been identified and species belong to subgenus Reddyanus was elevated into genus level and removed them from the genus Isometrus.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Family: Buthidae - Fat-tailed scorpions

• Buthoscorpio sarasinorum  - - Endemic
• Charmus laneaus  - - Endemic
• Charmus saradieli  - - Endemic
• Hottentotta tamulus - only dangerously venomous scorpion in Sri Lanka
• Isometrus maculatus
• Isometrus thwaitesi - Endemic
• Lychas srilankensis - Endemic
• Reddyanus basilicus - Endemic
• Reddyanus besucheti - Endemic
• Reddyanus ceylonensis - Endemic
• Reddyanus jayarathnei - Endemic
• Reddyanus loebli - Endemic
• Reddyanus ranawanai - Endemic

• Chaerilus ceylonensis - Endemic

• Liocheles australasiae

• Heterometrus gravimanus - Endemic
• Heterometrus indus
• Heterometrus serratus - Endemic
• Heterometrus swammerdami
• Heterometrus yaleensis - Endemic

References

• https://web.archive.org/web/20140728130819/http://ccp.lk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Prof-SAM-Kularatne-Scorpion-and-hymenoptera-stings.pdf
• http://www.ceylontoday.lk/18-27488-news-detail-gorgeous-but-deadly.html
• http://srilanka.for91days.com/tag/scorpions/
• http://www.azscorpion.com/SriLan.html

Notes and References

1. Charles University . Kovařík . František . Lowe . Graeme . Monell Chemical Senses Center . Ranawana . Kithsiri B. . University of Peradeniya . Hoferek . David . Jayarathne . V. A. Sanjeewa . University of Peradeniya . 2016 . Scorpions of Sri Lanka (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Scorpionidae) with description of four new species of the genera Charmus Karsch, 1879 and Reddyanus Vachon, 1972, stat. n . 2021-08-29 . Euscorpius . 2016 . 220 . 1–133 . 10.18590/euscorpius.2016.vol2016.iss220.1. free .
2. Kovařík . František . Ranawana . Kithsiri B. . Jayarathne . V. A. Sanjeewa . Hoferek . David . Šťáhlavský . František . 2019 . Scorpions of Sri Lanka (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part III. Heterometrus yaleensis sp. n. (Scorpionidae) . 2021-08-31 . Euscorpius . 2019 . 283 . 1–13 . 10.18590/euscorpius.2019.vol2019.iss283.1. free .
3. Web site: A review of the genus Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) with descriptions of four new species from Asia and Australia . 2021-08-30 . Euscorpius — Occasional Publications in Scorpiology. 2003, No. 10.
4. Charles University . Kovařík . František . Ranawana . Kithsiri B. . University of Peradeniya . Jayarathne . V. A. Sanjeewa . University of Peradeniya . Karunarathna . Sanjaya . University of Peradeniya . Ullrich . Alexander . 2018 . Scorpions of Sri Lanka (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part II. Family Hormuridae . 2021-08-31 . Euscorpius . 2018 . 258 . 1–5 . 10.18590/euscorpius.2018.vol2018.iss258.1. free .