In Sri Lanka, here be dragonflies and damselflies like nowhere else (Commentary)

Nearly half of the 130 known species of dragonflies and damselflies in Sri Lanka are found nowhere else on Earth. The highest endemic species density is found in the island’s central highlands, attributed to the variations in the geography and climatic conditions as different mountain ranges have different ecological characteristics providing unique evolutionary pressures for speciation. But for long, knowledge of these odonates had been confined to scientific names and basic descriptions and locational information, until a new surge of interest drove the country’s odonates research to new heights. This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay. A tropical continental island located close to the Indian subcontinent, endemic fauna and flora form an integral part of Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity. The island’s biodiversity is globally recognized for both its diversity and endemism of fauna and flora, and this is true of its dragonflies and damselflies, or odonates in general. With 130 known species, 58 of Sri Lankan dragonflies and damselflies are endemic to the country. In addition to these, Sri Lankan subspecies of eight other species are also endemic, elevating the total number of endemics to 66 (50.8%) and thus making […]

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