In Sri Lanka with Financial Assistance from the Royal Netherlands Government
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The Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation Edited by Channa. N. B. Bambaradeniya This publication has been prepared by the World Conservation Union in Sri Lanka with financial assistance from the Royal Netherlands Government. Printing of this publication has been made possible by the Royal Netherlands Government and the Protected Area Management and Wildlife Conservation (PAM & WC) Project i The designation of geographical entities in this report, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN. This publication has been prepared by the World Conservation Union in Sri Lanka with financial assistance from the Royal Netherlands Government. Printing of this publication has been funded by the Royal Netherlands Government and the Protected Area Management and Wildlife Conservation Project. Published by: The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Colombo, Sri Lanka Government of Sri Lanka. Copyright: © 2006, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Citation: Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. (Editor), 2006. Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. The World Conservation Union, Colombo, Sri Lanka & Government of Sri Lanka. viii + 308pp ISBN: 955-8177-51-2 Cover photographs: Stenella longirostris - © Anouk Ilangakoon Notocrypta paralysos - © Naalin Perera Panthera pardus kotiya - © Gehan de Silva Wijeratne Produced by: The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Sri Lanka Printed by: Karunaratne & Sons Ltd., 67, UDA Industrial Estate, Katuwana Rd, Homagama, Sri Lanka Available from: The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Sri Lanka 53, Horton Place. Colombo 7, Sri Lanka Biodiversity Secretariat Ministry of Environment, 104, ‘Parisarapiyasa’, Robert Gunawardane Mawatha, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka ii Contents Message from the Country Representative of IUCN Sri Lanka v Message from the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment vi Dedication vii Acknowledgements ix Editorial x Section 1: Status of Invertebrate Fauna in Sri Lanka 1 An Overview of the Taxonomic Status of Class Hexapoda (Insecta) in Sri Lanka 3 Anura Wijesekara Current Status and Future Directions in Bee Taxonomy in Sri Lanka 12 W.A. I. P.Karunaratne and J. P. Edirisinghe Current Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation of Dragonfly Fauna of Sri Lanka 20 Matjaz Bedjanic Current Status of Aphid Taxonomy in Sri Lanka 35 Jayanthi P. Edirisinghe and M.A.P. Wijerathna Current Taxonomic Status of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka 43 R. K. Sriyani Dias Species Richness, Distribution and Conservation Status of Butterflies in Sri Lanka 53 W.P.N. Perera and C.N.B. Bambaradeniya Taxonomic Status of Ticks in Sri Lanka 65 P.R. M.P. Dilrukshi Systematics and Conservation of Spiders in Sri Lanka: Current Status and 70 Future Prospects Suresh P. Benjamin and Channa N. B. Bambaradeniya Conservation of Sri Lankan Freshwater Crabs 77 Mohomed M. Bahir & Rohan Pethiyagoda Land Snails in Sri Lanka 84 K. B. Ranawana Section 2: Status of Vertebrate Fauna in Sri Lanka 101 Conservation of Sri Lankan Freshwater Fishes 103 Rohan Pethiyagoda Some Aspects of Ecology of Endemic Freshwater Fishes of Sri Lanka 113 Upali S. Amarasinghe, R. R.A. R. Shirantha and M.J.S. Wijeyaratne Sri Lankan Amphibians: Diversity, Uniqueness and Conservation 125 Rohan Pethiyagoda, Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi, Mohomed M. Bahir and Madhava Meegaskumbura Current Status of the Reptiles of Sri Lanka 134 Anslem de Silva iii Avifaunal List of Sri Lanka 164 Professor Sarath W. Kotagama, Rex I. De Silva, Athula S. Wijayasinha & Vathsala Abeygunawardane Status of Waterfowl in Sri Lanka 204 Deepal Warakagoda and Udaya Sirivardana Taxonomic Status of the Mammals of Sri Lanka 216 D. K. Weerakoon and W. L. D. P.T. S. de A. Goonatilake Ecological Traits of Endemic Small Mammals in Rainforests of Sri Lanka, and Their Implications for Conservation 232 Mayuri R. Wijesinghe The Ecology of the Wild Cats of Sri Lanka 235 Sriyanie Miththapala Section 3: Status of Marine Fauna in Sri Lanka 257 Coral Associated Invertebrates: An Overview of the Current Taxonomic Status 259 Malik Fernando Current Status of Taxonomy and Ecology of Marine Molluscs in Sri Lanka 274 Darshani de Silva The Taxonomy and Status of Offshore Birds (seabirds) of Sri Lanka 288 S. W. Kotagama1 and Rex I. De Silva Taxonomy and Status of the Sharks and Rays of Sri Lanka 294 Rex I. De Silva Taxonomy and Current Status of Marine Mammals in Sri Lanka 302 A. D. Ilangakoon iv Message from the Country Representative of IUCN Sri Lanka In the year 2004, after a lapse of nearly two decades, The World Conservation Union (IUCN), in collaboration with the Biodiversity Secretariat of the Ministry of Environment organized a series of national workshops on the status of fauna in Sri Lanka. The intention of organizing these workshops was to upgrade and disseminate the knowledge pertaining to taxonomy, ecology and research on the fauna of the island through presentations made by eminent scientists and naturalists, based on recent research. Since a wealth of information was presented at these workshops, IUCN recognized the need to compile this valuable knowledge and information into a single comprehensive publication, which could be used by a variety of stakeholders, including policy makers, protected area managers, researchers, conservation biologists, environmentalists and students. Most of the scientists who presented papers at these national workshops came forward voluntarily to write up full papers on their research in relation to taxonomy, ecology and the conservation of fauna in Sri Lanka. Thus, this publication includes updated information on all groups of inland vertebrate fauna, selected groups of inland invertebrate fauna and selected groups of marine fauna. We wish to thank all the scientists and naturalists who contributed towards this publication and sincerely acknowledge the group of peer reviewers that included Sri Lankan and foreign scientists who assisted us to review each paper in order to enhance the technical quality of this publication. We sincerely hope that this publication would be used by various stakeholders for the conservation of fauna in Sri Lanka. Mrs. Shiranee E Yasaratne Country Representative The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Sri Lanka v Message from the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka It is with great pleasure that I write this message for this comprehensive publication on the status of fauna in Sri Lanka, on behalf of the Ministry of Environment. Being the government focal member, the Ministry of Environment has been actively involved in biodiversity conservation activities in collaboration with IUCN – The World Conservation Union in Sri Lanka, during the past two decades. Such collaborations have resulted in several valuable outputs, including publications such as the 1999 Biodiversity Conservation Framework for Action, and several workshops to raise awareness and/or build capacity to conserve the rich biodiversity in the island. The Ministry decided to co-finance the printing of this publication through financial assistance from the ADB/GEF funded Protected Area Management and Wildlife Conservation Project, in order to disseminate it and provide information on the current status of fauna in Sri Lanka, among a wider group of stakeholders including researchers, students, teachers and policy makers. I am confident that this publication would contribute towards promoting research on the different groups of fauna in the island, and also be used to develop and implement relevant conservation policies. I wish to thank all the researchers who contributed with very interesting papers on the status of different groups of fauna, in order to make this publication a success. Mr. Jayalath R. W. Dissanayake Secretary Ministry of Environment Sri Lanka vi Dedication This publication is dedicated to the memory of late Prof. Felix Prashantha Amerasinghe, a brilliant research scientist and an exemplary university academic who contributed immensely towards the development of natural sciences in Sri Lanka. Although initially selected to enter medical college, Prof. Amerasinghe, in his youth, opted to pursue biological sciences as an undergraduate at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, where he obtained a First Class Honours Degree in Zoology. Subsequently, he obtained a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Bristol, UK. He commenced his university teaching career in 1972 as an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Zoology, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, where he served for nearly three decades. In 1996, he was appointed Professor of Applied Zoology and between 1998 and 1999, held the position of Head of the Department of Zoology, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Between 1990 and 1992, Prof. Amerasinghe also served as a Visiting Associate Professor at the Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, USA. He was a dedicated teacher who