A new species of Ceylonosticta Fraser, 1931 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from Sri Lanka

Abstract

A new species of Ceylonosticta from the wet zone of Sri Lanka is described and illustrated, namely Ceylonosticta goodalei sp. nov. (Kuruwita-Erathana foot path, Seethagangula, Adam’s Peak, Samanala Nature Reserve, Ratnapura, 6.8196°N, 80.4615°E, 1109 m asl). The species is described from male specimens only and the genital ligula is described and illustrated. Females are as yet unknown. A brief review of Ceylonosticta “species-groups” is provided, provisionally incorporating three recently described species (C. nancyae, C. rupasinghe, C. alwisi) as well as C. goodalei. A determination key is updated by addition of these four newly described Ceylonosticta species and now covers 22 endemic species of the genus hereto known from the island.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3A443B9F-CAD0-42AE-A4C1-8476C83DF8E9

Keywords:

• Ceylonosticta
• Drepanosticta
• endemic
• new species
• Odonata
• Platystictidae
• Platystictinae
• Sri Lanka
• dragonflies

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the following: Nancy van der Poorten for advice, literature, and several critical reviews of the manuscript; Leena Priya D/O Segaran (National University of Singapore, Singapore) for editing the manuscript; Matjaž Bedjanič (Slovenia) for his critical review of the manuscript; Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), Sri Lanka and, National Wildlife Research and Training Center (NWRTC), Giritale, Sri Lanka for issuing the necessary permit for this study; Yohan Buddika (National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Sri Lanka) for mapping; Sadaruwan Hettiarachchi for the camera apparatus; Shantanu Joshi (National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India) for thoughtful discussion; and George van der Poorten, Madhava Meegaskumbura (Peradeniya University, Sri Lanka), Eben Goodale (Guangxi University, People’s Republic of China), Sandun J. Perera (Sabaragamuwa University, Sri Lanka), Uromi Manage Goodale (Guangxi University, People’s Republic of China), Sameera Karunarathna (Nature Explorations and Education Team, Sri Lanka), Kanishka Ukuwela (Rajarata University, Sri Lanka) and He Ruchuan (Guangxi University, People’s Republic of China) for their support and encouragement on this study. We also thank Milen Marinov (Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand), Dennis Paulson (University of Puget Sound, USA), Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra (Stellenbosch University, the Netherlands), Jan van Tol (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Netherlands), Amila Prasanna Sumanapala (Sri Lanka) and John C. Abbott (The University of Alabama, USA) for commenting on the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), Sri Lanka [grant WL/3/2/2015].