in Sri Lanka - Ministry of Environment

The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of the Butterflies of Sri LankaGeorge van der PoortenHammaliya Estate, Bandarakoswatte.IntroductionThe study of butterflies in Sri Lanka began with a short account of 7 species from the islandby Sir J. Emerson Tennent in his book Ceylon: An account of the island, Volume 1 (1860).This was followed by a more comprehensive account on the butterflies of Sri Lanka byFrederick Moore in The Lepidoptera of Ceylon Volume 1 (1880-1881) and Volume 3 (1884-87). Several scientific works such as Marshall & de Nicéville (1882-83), de Nicéville (1886,1890), Manders (1899, 1903, 1904), Bingham (1905 & 1907), Ormiston (1924), Evans (1927& 1932), Woodhouse (1942, 1949, 1950), and Talbot (1947) have contributed to furthering theknowledge on butterfly fauna of Sri Lanka. However, much of the information in these bookswas based on the original writings of Moore with some added information generated by studiesdone in India and contributions by local naturalists including E. E. Green, Tunnard, Manders,Wiley and Ormiston. In 1998, d’Abrera published a book with short accounts on all of thespecies accompanied by color photographs. Since then several popular books and articleshave been published on butterflies; most of them however, are based on available literaturerather than new information.To date, 245 species of butterflies (Order Lepidoptera: Superfamily Papilionoidae) have beenrecorded from Sri Lanka, of which twenty-six species are endemic to the island. Sri Lankashares most of its butterfly fauna with peninsular India, with which it is zoographically related.In particular, there are several species regionally endemic to the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka.Current taxonomic statusThe phylogenetic analysis of the butterflies and skippers of the world by Ackery et. al., (1999)in which they were classified under three superfamilies (Hedyloidea, Hesperoidea andPapilionoidea), has been superceded by the work of van Nieukerken et. al., (2011) in whichall seven families of butterflies, including the skippers, are now classified in the superfamilyPapilionoidae. In Sri Lanka, all species of butterflies and skippers are classified under thefollowing six families: Papilionidae (15 species), Pieridae (28 species), Nymphalidae (68species), Riodinidae (1 species), Lycaenidae (84 species) and Hesperiidae (49 species).Of the 26 endemic species, 9 species each are found in the Nymphalidae and Lycaenidaefamilies while the remaining 8 species belong to the families Papilionidae (2), Pieridae (2) andHesperiidae (4). However, ongoing taxonomic work on the group may result in a change in thenumber of endemic species (Kunte, K., in prep.).Since the publication of 2007 IUCN Red List, two species new to Sri Lanka have been discovered:Catopsilia scylla (van der Poorten & van der Poorten, 2012c.) and Cephrenes trichopepla (vander Poorten & van der Poorten, 2012b, in press.). These two species are recent arrivals tothe island from possibly Malaysia and Australia, respectively. In addition, Spindasis greeni isnow considered a valid species. Some authors questioned its status as a species because itwas originally described from only one specimen. However, new information confirms that it isindeed a valid species (van der Poorten & van der Poorten, 2012a, in press).26