List of minor insects of Sri Lanka

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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 species of arthropods found in the world, and still it is counting. So many new species are discover up to this time also. So it is very complicated and 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.

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.^[1] 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,^[2] perhaps instead referring to their remarkable speed of movement both forward and backward.^[3]

Over 360 embiopteran species have been described,^[2][4] along with estimates of around 2000 species being in existence today.^[5] 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,^[2][6] and Phasmatodea,^[7]

The following list provide the lacewings currently identified in Sri Lanka. Only four species found from this order within the country.^{[8][9][10][11][12]}

Endemic species are denoted as E.

Family: Oligotomidae

• Oligotoma humbertiana^[13]
• Oligotoma saundersii^[14]
• Aposthonia ceylonica^[15]
• Aposthonia minuscula^[16]

Booklice

Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Psocoptera

Psocoptera are an order of insects that are commonly known as booklice, barklice or barkflies.^[17] They first appeared in the Permian period, 295–248 million years ago. They are often regarded as the most primitive of the hemipteroids.^[18] Their name originates from the Greek word ψῶχος, psokos meaning gnawed or rubbed and πτερά, ptera meaning wings.^[19] There are more than 5,500 species in 41 families in three suborders. Many of these species have only been described in recent years.^[20]

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.^[8] The checklist of New was advanced with the full description of two subfamilies Epipsocidae and Pseudocaeciliidae, from Sri Lanka.^[9][21][22]

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 oleaginus

Family: Myopsocidae - Mouse-like barklice

• Myopsocus unduosus

Family: Peripsocidae - Stout barklice

• Peripsocus pauliani

Family: Philotarsidae - Loving barklice

• Haplophallus orientalis
• Aaroniella maligawa

Family: Pseudocaeciliidae - False lizard barklice

Family: Psocidae - Common barklice

• Blaste obtusa
• Psococerastis taprobanes
• Atrichadenotecnum quinquepunctatum
• Copostigma trimaculatum
• Psocidus consitus
• Psocidus oblitus
• 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.^[8] In 1997, Oda et al. rediscovered and updated the thrip diversity, but with small collections from Sri Lanka.^[9] 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.^[23][24]

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.^[25]

The following list provide the fleas found in Sri Lanka.^[9] The first checklist of fleas in Sri Lanka was done by Iyengar in 1973.^[8] 20 species are recognized, more taxonomic study is required.^[26] 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
  • Thaumapsylla breviceps 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.^[27] 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).^[28] 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.^[29] Then in 1973, Malicky updated the checklist.^[9] Currently 188 number of caddisfly species belongs to 18 families are identified from Sri Lanka.^{[8][30][31][32][33]}

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.^[34] Males have well-developed pair of hind-wings and reduced fore-wings. Females wingless and usually do not leave their hosts.^[8]

The first scientific observation and detailed work on strepsipterans of Sri Lanka was done by Kathirithamby in 1994.^[35][36] In 1997, Kifune discovered 20 strepsipterans from Sri Lanka, with 7 new species. All these new species genera are endemic to the country.^{[37][9][38][39]}

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

References