- Source: List of minor insects of Sri Lanka
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 and counting species of arthropods found in the world. Due to this, it is very difficult to summarize the exact number of species found within a certain region.
The following list is about some minor insect orders recorded in Sri Lanka.
Jumping bristletails
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Archaeognatha
Archaeognatha, are an insect order of the subclass Apterygota, which means they are insects without wings at any stage of the lifecycle. In the evolution of insects, Archaeognatha are the most primitive insects currently exists in the world. They have elongated bodies and arched backs. They have three long caudal filaments, where two lateral filaments are known as cerci, and the medial one is an epiproct. 350 species of Jumping bristletails belong to two families have been identified. Two species are known from Sri Lanka.
= Family: Machilidae
=Graphitarsus phillipsi
Graphitarsus schmidi
Silverfish
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Zygentoma
Zygentoma is an insect order of the subclass Apterygota. The order includes silverfish, fishmoths, and the firebrats. All Zygentoma species have three long caudal filaments, where two lateral filaments are known as cerci, and the medial one is an epiproct or appendix dorsalis. There are five families in the order. 3 species are known from Sri Lanka.
= Family: Ateluridae
=Assmuthia escherichii
= Family: Lepismatidae
=Ctenolepisma calva
Namunukulina funambuli
Webspinners
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Embioptera
The order Embioptera, commonly known as webspinners, are a small group of mostly tropical and subtropical insects, classified under the subclass Pterygota. The order has also been referred to as Embiodea or Embiidina. The name Embioptera ("lively wings") comes from Greek, εμβιος, embios meaning "lively" and πτερον, pteron meaning "wing", a name that has not been considered to be particularly descriptive for this group of fliers, perhaps instead referring to their remarkable speed of movement both forward and backward.
Over 360 embiopteran species have been described, along with estimates of around 2000 species being in existence today. There is some debate as to the exact phylogenetic classification of Embioptera, with the order having been classed as a sister group to both orders Zoraptera, and Phasmatodea,
The following list provide the lacewings currently identified in Sri Lanka. Only four species found from this order within the country.
Endemic species are denoted as E.
= Family: Oligotomidae
=Aposthonia ceylonica
Aposthonia minuscula
Oligotoma humbertiana
Oligotoma saundersii
Booklice
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Psocoptera
Psocoptera are an order of insects that are commonly known as booklice, barklice or barkflies. They first appeared in the Permian period, 295–248 million years ago. They are often regarded as the most primitive of the hemipteroids. Their name originates from the Greek word ψῶχος, psokos meaning gnawed or rubbed and πτερά, ptera meaning wings. There are more than 5,500 species in 41 families in three suborders. Many of these species have only been described in recent years.
The Order Psocoptera is divided into three suborders. According to checklists by Smithers in 1967 and New in 1977, there are 67 accepted species of booklice found from Sri Lanka. The checklist of New was advanced with the full description of two subfamilies Epipsocidae and Pseudocaeciliidae, from Sri Lanka.
= Family: Amphientomidae - tropical barklice
== Family: Amphipsocidae - hairy-winged barklice
=Taeniostigma elongatum
= Family: Archipsocidae - ancient barklice
=Archipsocopsis biguttata
Archipsocopsis fernandi
= Family: Caeciliusidae - lizard barklice
== Family: Calopsocidae - common barklice
=Calopsocus infelix
= Family: Ectopsocidae - outer barklice
=Ectopsocus aethiops
Ectopsocus piger
= Family: Elipsocidae - damp barklice
=Elipsocus boops
Elipsocus impressus
Nepiomorpha crucifera
= Family: Epipsocidae - elliptical barklice
=Epipsocopsis delicata
Epipsocopsis greeni
Epipsocopsis hakgalensis
Epipsocopsis peradenayensis
Epipsocopsis taprobanensis
= Family: Hemipsocidae - leaf litter barklice
=Hemipsocus chloroticus
Hemipsocus roseus
= Family: Lepidopsocidae - scaly-winged barklice
== Family: Liposcelididae - booklice
=Embidopsocus minor
Embidopsocus oleaginus
= Family: Myopsocidae - mouse-like barklice
=Myopsocus unduosus
= Family: Peripsocidae - stout barklice
=Peripsocus milloti
Peripsocus pauliani
= Family: Philotarsidae - loving barklice
=Aaroniella maligawa
Haplophallus orientalis
= Family: Pseudocaeciliidae - false lizard barklice
== Family: Psocidae - common barklice
=Atrichadenotecnum quinquepunctatum
Blaste obtusa
Copostigma trimaculatum
Psocidus consitus
Psocidus oblitus
Psococerastis taprobanes
Trichadenotecnum circulare
= Family: Stenopsocidae - narrow barklice
=Stenopsocus apertus
Stenopsocus uniformis
Thrips
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Thysanoptera
Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute, slender insects with fringed wings (thus the scientific name. Other common names for thrips include thunderflies, thunderbugs, storm flies, thunderblights, storm bugs, corn flies and corn lice. Thrips species feed on a large variety of plants and animals by puncturing them and sucking up the contents. A large number of thrips species are considered pests, because they feed on plants with commercial value. Some species of thrips feed on other insects or mites and are considered beneficial, while some feed on fungal spores or pollen. Approximately 6,000 species have been described. Thrips are generally tiny (1 mm long or less) and are not good flyers , although they can be carried long distances by the wind. In the right conditions, like indoor grow rooms or greenhouses, many species can exponentially increase in population size and form large swarms because of a lack of natural predators, making them an irritation to humans.
The first comprehensive detailed work on Sri Lankan thrip fauna came through Schmutz in 1913. His checklist stood for more than 70 years with 43 new species. In 1997, Oda et al. rediscovered and updated the thrip diversity, but with small collections from Sri Lanka. The most recent work was done by Wijerathna, and he listed 16 species of thrips from 28 crops across the island. Currently, thrips documented within Sri Lanka included to 3 families - Aeolothripidae, Thripidae, and Phlaeothripidae, with 46 genera and 78 species.
= Family: Aeolothripidae - predatory thrips
=Franklinothrips vespiformis
= Family: Thripidae - common thrips
== Family: Phlaeothripidae - tube-tailed thrips
=Fleas
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Siphonaptera
Fleas are insects that form the order Siphonaptera. They are wingless, with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood. Fleas are external parasites, living by hematophagy off the blood of mammals and birds. Over 2,000 species have been described worldwide.
The following list provide the fleas found in Sri Lanka. The first checklist of fleas in Sri Lanka was done by Iyengar in 1973. 20 species are recognized, more taxonomic study is required. The fleas studies were almost confined to parasitic sections, where W. W. A. Phillips documented 11 species of fleas in 1980.
= Family: Ceratophyllidae
=Macrostylophora phillipsi
Nosopsyllus ceylonensis
Nosopsyllus tamilanus
= Family: Ischnopsyllidae - bat fleas
=Araeopsylla gestroi
Ischnopsyllus indicus
Thaumapsylla breviceps - ssp. orientalis
= Family: Pulicidae - cat fleas
=Ctenocephalides canis
Ctenocephalides felis
Pulex irritans
Xenopsylla cheopis
= Family: Stivaliidae
=Lentistivalius ferinus
Stivalius aporus
Stivalius phoberus
Caddisflies
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Trichoptera
The caddisflies are an order, Trichoptera, of insects with approximately 7,000 described species. Also called sedge-flies or rail-flies, they are small moth-like insects having two pairs of hairy membranous wings. They are closely related to Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) which have scales on their wings, and the two orders together form the superorder Amphiesmenoptera. Caddisflies have aquatic larvae and are found in a wide variety of habitats such as streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, spring seeps, and temporary waters (vernal pools). The larvae of many species use silk to make protective cases of gravel, sand, twigs or other debris.
The caddisfly diversity in Sri Lanka is fairly studied from British times to present day. However, the first comprehensive work was done by Schmid in 1958. Then in 1973, Malicky updated the checklist. Currently 188 number of caddisfly species belongs to 18 families are identified from Sri Lanka.
= Family: Anomalopsychidae
=Ceylanopsyche asaka
Ceylanopsyche kabaragola
Ceylanopsyche kaltenbachi
= Family: Calamoceratidae
=Anisocentropus ittikulama
Ganonema falcatus
= Family: Dipseudopsidae
=Dipseudopsis notata
= Family: Ecnomidae
== Family: Goeridae
=Goera katugalkanda
Goera katugastota
Goera kirilagoda
Goera paragoda
= Family: Glossosomatidae - little black caddisflies
== Family: Helicopsychidae - snail-case caddisflies
=Helicopsyche amarawathi
Helicopsyche arayar
Helicopsyche euchloe
Helicopsyche gudrunae
Helicopsyche petri
Helicopsyche ruprawathi
Helicopsyche salika
Helicopsyche srilanka
= Family: Hydrobiosidae
=Hydropsyche flynni
Hydropsyche fryeri
Hydropsyche katugahakanda
Hydropsyche malassanka
= Family: Hydropsychidae - net-spinning caddisflies
== Family: Hydroptilidae - micro caddisflies
== Family: Lepidostomatidae - bizarre caddisflies
=Goerodes kanda
Goerodes ursinus
= Family: Leptoceridae - long-horned caddisflies
== Family: Limnephilidae - northern caddisflies
=Diplectrona kirimaduhela
Diplectrona papilionacea
Diplectronella taprobanes
= Family: Odontoceridae - mortarjoint casemakers
=Marilia mixta
= Family: Philopotamidae - fingernet caddisflies
== Family: Polycentropodidae - tube-maker caddisflies
== Family: Psychomyiidae - net-tube caddisflies
=Lype tipmanee
= Family: Xiphocentronidae
=Abaria margaritifera
Twisted-winged parasites
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Strepsiptera
Order Strepsiptera, commonly called, twisted-wing parasites, are an endopterygote order of insects. The order consists with nine extant families with about 600 species. Adults in most of their lives are spent as endoparasites in other insects, such as bees, wasps, leafhoppers, silverfish, and cockroaches. Males have well-developed pair of hind-wings and reduced fore-wings. Females wingless and usually do not leave their hosts.
The first scientific observation and detailed work on strepsipterans of Sri Lanka was done by Kathirithamby in 1994. In 1997, Kifune discovered 20 strepsipterans from Sri Lanka, with 7 new species. All these new species genera are endemic to the country.
= Family: Corioxenidae
=Triozocera ceylonensis
= Family: Elenchidae
=Elenchus tenuicornis
= Family: Halictophagidae
=Halictophagus minimus
Halictophagus peradenyia
Halictophagus sodeni
Halictophagus spectrus
Tridactylophagus ceylonensis
= Family: Mengenillidae
=Mengenilla orientalis
= Family: Myrmecolacidae
=Myrmecolax nietneri
Stichotrema ambiguum
Stichotrema acutipennis
Stichotrema ceylonense
Stichotrema dallatorreanum
Stichotrema krombeini
Stichotrema minor
Stichotrema simile
= Family: Stylopidae
=Paraxenos australiensis
Paraxenos krombeini
Paraxenos occidentalis
Lice
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Phthiraptera
Phthiraptera, is an insect order, which comprise more than 5,000 species of wingless insects. All lice are obligate parasites which live externally on warm-blooded mammals and birds. The three cosmopolitan species of lice live within the humans, on head, body and pubic region. They are divided into two groups, sucking lice and chewing lice. The exact number of lice in Sri Lanka is not known. Only some species have been documented.
= Family: Haematomyzidae
=Haematomyzus elephantis
= Family: Hoplopleuridae
=Hoplopleura maniculata
= Family: Menoponidae
=Myrsidea clayae
= Family: Pediculidae
=Pediculus humanus
Pediculus humanus capitis
Pediculus humanus humanus
= Family: Pthiridae
=Pthirus pubis
Scorpionflies
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Mecoptera
Mecoptera is an insect order with about 600 described species. They are commonly known as scorpionflies, due to enlarged genitals possessed by males, which resemble the stinger of a scorpion. They are one of major pollinators gymnosperms along with bees. Detailed work on mecopterans in Sri Lanka not yet carried out. Two species are known to live in Sri Lanka.
= Family: Bittacidae - hangingflies
=Bittacus henryi
Bittacus insularis
Stoneflies
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Plecoptera
Plecoptera is an insect order with about 3,500 described species with worldwide distribution. They are one of the most primitive winged insects. The body is very simple, chewing mandibles, large compound eyes with two or three ocelli. Detailed work on plecopterans in Sri Lanka not yet carried out. Eight species within two families are known to live in Sri Lanka.
= Family: Perlidae
=Neoperla angulate
Neoperla inexspectata
Neoperla triangulate
Phanoperla nana
Phanoperla srilanka
Phanoperla testacea
Phanoperla wedda
= Family: Polyplacidae - spiny rat lice
=Neohaematopinus ceylonicus
References
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- List of minor insects of Sri Lanka
- List of birds of Sri Lanka
- Wildlife of Sri Lanka
- List of common commercial fish of Sri Lanka
- List of reptiles of Sri Lanka
- List of Odonata species of Sri Lanka
- List of ants of Sri Lanka
- List of freshwater fish of Sri Lanka
- List of mammals of Sri Lanka
- List of scorpions of Sri Lanka
