Language: English
Dragonflies are strikingly beautiful insects and small colourful pearls of Sri Lanka's remarkable biodiversity. At present, 124 species are known from the island, of which almost half are endemic. Such an extraordinary level of endemism makes Sri Lankan dragonflies an exceptionally interesting group for studies in biodiversity, zoogeography, phylogeny and ecology.
Dragonfly Fauna of Sri Lanka: Distribution and Biology, with Threat Status of its Endemics is the result of almost 20 years of the authors' work on the subject. With detailed texts and hundreds of colour photographs, maps and charts, it summarizes all the available knowledge on the distribution, taxonomy, biology and disturbing threat status of the dragonflies of Sri Lanka. It aims to raise awareness and promote interest in odonatology among a widespread and diverse community of researchers, nature conservationists and students in Sri Lanka and abroad.
PREFACE 5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7
CHAPTER 1. Outline of geography, ecology and biodiversity of Sri Lanka 10
CHAPTER 2. Biology, diversity and conservation of the dragonflies of Sri Lanka 15
CHAPTER 3. Dragonfly habitats in Sri Lanka 20
CHAPTER 4. Odonatology in Sri Lanka 25
CHAPTER 5. List of the dragonfly species of Sri Lanka 30
CHAPTER 6. Distribution and biology of the dragonflies of Sri Lanka: methodology, summary of results and species' accounts 34
CHAPTER 7. IUCN Red List assessments of globally threatened endemic dragonfly species of Sri Lanka 258
CHAPTER 8. Conservation priorities and recommendations 267
CHAPTER 9. Research priorities and recommendations 270
CHAPTER 10. Odonatological bibliography of Sri Lanka 274
APPENDIX 1: Overview of dragonfly species per district and province 284
APPENDIX 2: Faunistic records of globally threatened endemic dragonfly species of Sri Lanka 291
APPENDIX 3: Photographic index and supplementary material 306
INDEX 308