Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka
Location
Region	Asia
Subregion	Southern Asia
BioRegion	Oriental Region
Diversity
Subfamilies	11
Genera	78
Endemic Genera	1
% Endemic Genera	1.3%
Species/Subspecies	340
Endemic Species	88
% Endemic Species	25.9%
Introduced Species	1

The Sri Lanka ant fauna has recently come into better focus through contemporary research by Dr. Ratnayake Dias (1, 2) and her colleagues. The most recent faunal list (Dias et al. 2020) brings together Dr. Dias' extensive knowledge and the incomparable database of ant occurrence records from Ant Maps. The many myrmecologists that have contributed to our current understanding of Sri Lanka's ant fauna are noted in the references provided in the 2020 Zookeys publication and Ant Map's specimen records.

Acanthomyrmex

• Acanthomyrmex luciolae Emery, 1893

Acropyga

• Acropyga acutiventris Roger, 1862
• Acropyga rubescens Forel, 1894

Aenictus

• Aenictus aitkenii Forel, 1901
• Aenictus biroi Forel, 1907
• Aenictus ceylonicus (Mayr, 1866)
• Aenictus fergusoni Forel, 1901
• Aenictus gracilis Emery, 1893
• Aenictus pachycerus (Smith, F. 1858)
• Aenictus porizonoides Walker, 1860

Aneuretus

• Aneuretus simoni Emery, 1893

Anillomyrma

• Anillomyrma decamera Emery, 1901

Anochetus

• Anochetus consultans Walker, 1859
• Anochetus graeffei Mayr, 1870
• Anochetus longifossatus Mayr, 1897
• Anochetus madaraszi Mayr, 1897
• Anochetus nietneri Roger, 1861
• Anochetus obscurior Brown, 1978
• Anochetus pangens Walker, 1859
• Anochetus yerburyi Forel, 1900

Anoplolepis

• Anoplolepis gracilipes

Aphaenogaster

• Aphaenogaster beccarii Emery, 1887

Bothroponera

• Bothroponera rubiginosa (Emery, 1889)
• Bothroponera sulcata (Mayr, 1867)
• Bothroponera tesseronoda (Emery)

Brachyponera

• Brachyponera jerdonii (Forel, 1900)
• Brachyponera luteipes Mayr, 1862
• Brachyponera obscurans Walker, 1859

Calyptomyrmex

• Calyptomyrmex singalensis Baroni Urbani, 1975
• Calyptomyrmex tamil Baroni Urbani, 1975
• Calyptomyrmex vedda Baroni Urbani, 1975

Camponotus

• Camponotus albipes Emery, 1893
• Camponotus angusticollis (Jerdon, 1851)
• Camponotus auriculatus Mayr, 1897
• Camponotus barbatus Roger, 1863
• Camponotus barbatus infuscoides Bingham, 1903
• Camponotus barbatus taylori Forel, 1892
• Camponotus carin Emery, 1889
• Camponotus compressus (Fabricius, 1787)
• Camponotus fletcheri Donisthorpe, 1942
• Camponotus greeni Forel, 1911
• Camponotus indeflexus Walker, 1859
• Camponotus irritans Smith, F., 1857
• Camponotus isabellae Forel, 1909
• Camponotus latebrosus Walker, 1859
• Camponotus mendax Forel, 1895
• Camponotus mendax integer Forel, 1895
• Camponotus mitis Smith, F., 1858
• Camponotus oblongus (Smith, F., 1858)
• Camponotus ominosus Forel, 1911
• Camponotus opaciventris Mayr, 1879
• Camponotus parius Emery, 1889
• Camponotus reticulatus Roger, 1863
• Camponotus reticulatus latitans Forel, 1893
• Camponotus reticulatus yerburyi Forel, 1893
• Camponotus rufoglaucus Jerdon, 1851
• Camponotus sericeus Fabricius, 1798
• Camponotus sesquipedalis Roger, 1863
• Camponotus simoni Emery, 1893
• Camponotus sklarus Bolton, 1995
• Camponotus thraso diogenes Forel, 1909
• Camponotus thraso Forel, 1893
• Camponotus variegatus (Smith, 1858)
• Camponotus variegatus bacchus (Smith, 1858)
• Camponotus variegatus crassinodis Forel, 1892
• Camponotus variegatus dulcis Dalla Torre, 1893
• Camponotus variegatus fuscithorax Dalla Torre, 1893
• Camponotus variegatus infuscus Forel, 1892
• Camponotus variegatus intrans Forel, 1911
• Camponotus variegatus somnificus Forel, 1902
• Camponotus wedda Forel, 1908

Cardiocondyla

• Cardiocondyla emeryi Forel, 1881
• Cardiocondyla itsukii Seifert, Okita & Heinze, 2017
• Cardiocondyla kagutsuchi Terayama, 1999
• Cardiocondyla minutior Forel, 1899
• Cardiocondyla wroughtonii (Forel, 1890)

Carebara

• Carebara affinis (Jerdon, 1851)
• Carebara bruni Forel, 1913
• Carebara butteli Forel, 1913
• Carebara ceylonensis (Forel, 1911)
• Carebara deponens Walker, 1859
• Carebara diversa (Jerdon, 1851)
• Carebara diversa taprobanae (Smith, F., 1858)
• Carebara escherichi Forel, 1911
• Carebara nana (Roger, 1863)
• Carebara pygmaea (Emery, 1887)
• Carebara silenus (Smith, 1858)
• Carebara sinhala Fischer, Azorsa & Fisher, 2014

Cataulacus

• Cataulacus granulatus (Latreille, 1802)
• Cataulacus latus Forel, 1891
• Cataulacus simoni Emery, 1893
• Cataulacus taprobanae Smith, F., 1853

Centromyrmex

• Centromyrmex feae (Emery, 1889)
• Centromyrmex feae ceylonicus Forel, 1900

Chronoxenus

• Chronoxenus wroughtonii (Forel, 1895)

Colobopsis

• Colobopsis badia (Smith, 1857)
• Colobopsis ceylonica (Emery, 1925)

Crematogaster

• Crematogaster anthracina Smith, 1857
• Crematogaster apicalis Motschoulsky, 1863
• Crematogaster biroi Mayr, 1897
• Crematogaster brunnea Smith, 1857
• Crematogaster brunnea nicevillei Emery, 1922
• Crematogaster brunnea rabula Forel, 1902
• Crematogaster brunnescens Motschoulsky, 1863
• Crematogaster consternens Walker, 1859
• Crematogaster contemta Mayr, 1879
• Crematogaster desecta Forel, 1911
• Crematogaster dohrni Mayr, 1879
• Crematogaster dohrni gigas Forel, 1913
• Crematogaster pellens Walker, 1859
• Crematogaster ransonneti Mayr, 1868
• Crematogaster rogenhoferi Mayr, 1879
• Crematogaster rogenhoferi lutea Emery, 1893
• Crematogaster rogeri Emery, 1922
• Crematogaster rothneyi Mayr, 1879
• Crematogaster rothneyi haputalensis Forel, 1913
• Crematogaster subnuda Mayr, 1879
• Crematogaster walshi Forel, 1902

Cryptopone

• Cryptopone testacea Emery, 1893

Diacamma

• Diacamma ceylonense Emery, 1897
• Diacamma cyaneiventre André, 1887
• Diacamma indicum Santschi
• Diacamma rugosum Le Guillou, 1842
• Diacamma rugosum jerdoni Forel, 1903
• Diacamma rugosum sculptum (Jerdon, 1851)

Dilobocondyla

• Dilobocondyla didita Walker, 1859

Discothyrea

• Discothyrea sp.

Dolichoderus

• Dolichoderus taprobanae Smith, F., 1858
• Dolichoderus taprobanae gracilipes (Mayr, 1879)
• Dolichoderus thoracicus (Smith, 1860)

Dorylus

• Dorylus labiatus Shuckard, 1840
• Dorylus orientalis Westwood, 1835

Erromyrma

• Erromyrma latinodis (Mayr, 1872)

Harpegnathos

• Harpegnathos saltator cruentatus (Smith, 1858)
• Harpegnathos saltator Jerdon, 1851
• Harpegnathos saltator taprobanae Forel, 1909

Hypoponera

• Hypoponera aitkenii (Forel, 1900)
• Hypoponera bugnioni (Forel, 1912)
• Hypoponera ceylonensis Mayr, 1897
• Hypoponera confinis Roger, 1860
• Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger, 1859)
• Hypoponera ragusai (Emery, 1894)
• Hypoponera taprobanae Forel, 1913
• Hypoponera wroughtonii (Forel, 1900)

Iridomyrmex

• Iridomyrmex anceps (Roger, 1863)

Lepisiota

• Lepisiota bipartita (Smith, F., 1861)
• Lepisiota fergusoni (Forel, 1895)
• Lepisiota lunaris Emery, 1893
• Lepisiota mayri Wachkoo, Bharti & Akbar, 2021
• Lepisiota opaca (Forel, 1892)
• Lepisiota pulchella (Forel, 1892)
• Lepisiota wroughtonii (Forel, 1902)

Leptanilla

• Leptanilla besucheti Baroni Urbani, 1977

Leptogenys

• Leptogenys chinensis (Mayr, 1870)
• Leptogenys diminuta Smith, F., 1857
• Leptogenys exundans Walker, 1859
• Leptogenys falcigera Roger, 1861
• Leptogenys hysterica Forel, 1900
• Leptogenys laeviceps (Smith, F. 1857)
• Leptogenys meritans Walker, 1859
• Leptogenys peuqueti André
• Leptogenys processionalis Jerdon, 1851
• Leptogenys pruinosa Forel, 1900
• Leptogenys yerburyi Forel, 1900

Lioponera

• Lioponera longitarsus Mayr, 1879
• Lioponera parva Forel, 1900

Lophomyrmex

• Lophomyrmex bedoti Emery, 1893
• Lophomyrmex birmanus Emery, 1893
• Lophomyrmex quadrispinosus (Jerdon, 1851)

Meranoplus

• Meranoplus bicolor Guérin-Méneville, 1844
• Meranoplus boltoni Schödl, 1998
• Meranoplus levis Donisthorpe, 1942
• Meranoplus loebli Schödl, 1998
• Meranoplus rothneyi Forel, 1902

Mesoponera

• Mesoponera melanaria Emery, 1893

Metapone

• Metapone greeni Forel, 1911

Monomorium

• Monomorium floricola (Jerdon, 1851)
• Monomorium monomorium Bolton, 1987
• Monomorium pharaonis Linnaeus, 1758
• Monomorium sahlbergi Emery, 1898
• Monomorium subopacum Smith, F., 1858
• Monomorium taprobanae Forel, 1913

Myopias

• Myopias amblyops Roger, 1861

Myopopone

• Myopopone castanea Smith, F., 1860

Myrmecina

• Myrmecina striata Emery

Myrmicaria

• Myrmicaria brunnea Saunders
• Myrmicaria fodiens (Jerdon, 1851)

Myrmoteras

• Myrmoteras ceylonicum Gregg, 1957

Nylanderia

• Nylanderia bourbonica (Forel, 1886)
• Nylanderia indica (Forel, 1894)
• Nylanderia taylori (Forel, 1894)
• Nylanderia taylori levis (Forel, 1913)
• Nylanderia vagabunda (Motschoulsky, 1863)
• Nylanderia vividula (Nylander, 1846)
• Nylanderia yerburyi (Forel, 1894)

Ochetellus

• Ochetellus glaber (Mayr, 1862)

Odontomachus

• Odontomachus simillimus Smith, F., 1858

Oecophylla

• Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius, 1775)

Ooceraea

• Ooceraea alii (Bharti & Akbar, 2013)
• Ooceraea biroi (Forel, 1907)
• Ooceraea coeca (Mayr, 1897)
• Ooceraea fragosa (Roger, 1862)

Parasyscia

• Parasyscia aitkenii (Forel, 1900)
• Parasyscia fossulata Forel, 1895
• Parasyscia luteoviger Brown, 1975

Paratopula

• Paratopula ceylonica Emery, 1901

Paratrechina

• Paratrechina longicornis Latreille, 1802

Parvaponera

• Parvaponera darwinii (Forel, 1893)

Pheidole

• Pheidole barreleti Forel, 1903
• Pheidole ceylonica Motschoulsky, 1863
• Pheidole diffidens Walker, 1859
• Pheidole fergusoni Forel, 1902
• Pheidole fervens Smith, 1858
• Pheidole gracilipes Motschoulsky, 1863
• Pheidole horni Emery, 1901
• Pheidole indica Mayr, 1879
• Pheidole jucunda Forel, 1885
• Pheidole latinoda Roger, 1863
• Pheidole latinoda peradeniyae Forel, 1911
• Pheidole malinsii Forel, 1902
• Pheidole megacephala Forel (introduced)
• Pheidole nietneri Emery, 1901
• Pheidole nodus Smith, F., 1874
• Pheidole parva Mayr, 1865
• Pheidole pronotalis Forel, 1902
• Pheidole rogersi taylori Forel, 1902
• Pheidole rugosa Smith, F. 1858
• Pheidole sharpi Forel, 1902
• Pheidole spathifera Forel, 1902
• Pheidole spathifera yerburyi Forel, 1902
• Pheidole sulcaticeps Roger, 1863
• Pheidole sulcaticeps vellicans Forel, 1911
• Pheidole templaria euscrobata Forel, 1913
• Pheidole watsoni Forel, 1902
• Pheidole woodmasoni Forel, 1885

Plagiolepis

• Plagiolepis exigua Forel, 1894
• Plagiolepis jerdonii Forel, 1894
• Plagiolepis pissina Roger, 1863

Platythyrea

• Platythyrea clypeata Forel, 1911
• Platythyrea parallela Smith, F., 1859

Polyrhachis

• Polyrhachis aculeata Mayr, 1879
• Polyrhachis bugnioni Forel, 1908
• Polyrhachis convexa Roger, 1863
• Polyrhachis convexa isabellae Forel, 1908
• Polyrhachis curvispina Forel, 1908
• Polyrhachis dives Smith, 1857
• Polyrhachis dives belli Forel, 1912
• Polyrhachis exercita (Walker, 1859)
• Polyrhachis fornicata Emery, 1900
• Polyrhachis frauenfeldi Mayr, 1862
• Polyrhachis gibbosa Forel, 1908
• Polyrhachis hippomanes ceylonensis Emery, 1893
• Polyrhachis horni Emery, 1901
• Polyrhachis illaudata Walker, 1859
• Polyrhachis jerdonii Forel, 1892
• Polyrhachis lacteipennis Smith, 1858
• Polyrhachis nigra Mayr, 1862
• Polyrhachis oedipus Forel, 1893
• Polyrhachis proxima Roger, 1863
• Polyrhachis punctillata Roger, 1863
• Polyrhachis rastellata (Latreille, 1802)
• Polyrhachis rupicapra Roger, 1863
• Polyrhachis saevissima argentea Mayr, 1862
• Polyrhachis scissa (Roger, 1862)
• Polyrhachis sophocles Forel, 1908
• Polyrhachis thrinax Roger, 1863
• Polyrhachis thrinax lancearia Forel, 1893
• Polyrhachis tibialis Smith, 1858
• Polyrhachis tibialis parsis Emery, 1900
• Polyrhachis tibialis pectita Santschi, 1928
• Polyrhachis tubericeps Forel, 1893
• Polyrhachis wroughtonii Forel, 1894
• Polyrhachis xanthippe Forel, 1911
• Polyrhachis yerburyi Forel, 1893

Prenolepis

• Prenolepis naoroji Forel

Prionopelta

• Prionopelta kraepelini Forel

Pristomyrmex

• Pristomyrmex punctatus (Smith, 1860)
• Pristomyrmex sinharaja Dias & Yamane, 2016

Protanilla

• Protanilla schoedli Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2006

Pseudolasius

• Pseudolasius isabellae Forel, 1908

Pseudoneoponera

• Pseudoneoponera insularis (Emery, 1889)
• Pseudoneoponera rufipes (Jerdon, 1851)
• Pseudoneoponera rufipes ceylonensis (Forel, 1911)

Recurvidris

• Recurvidris pickburni Bolton, 1992
• Recurvidris recurvispinosa (Forel, 1890)

Rhopalomastix

• Rhopalomastix escherichi Forel, 1911
• Rhopalomastix rothneyi Forel, 1900

Solenopsis

• Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius, 1804)
• Solenopsis nitens Bingham, 1903

Stereomyrmex

• Stereomyrmex horni Emery, 1901

Stictoponera

• Stictoponera coxalis Roger, 1860
• Stictoponera sinhala Lattke, 2016

Stigmatomma

• Stigmatomma bellii (Forel, 1900)

Strumigenys

• Strumigenys emmae (Emery, 1890)
• Strumigenys godeffroyi Mayr, 1866
• Strumigenys inopinata (De Andrade, 1994)
• Strumigenys lyroessa Roger, 1859
• Strumigenys membranifera (Emery, 1869)
• Strumigenys veddha De Andrade, 2007

Syllophopsis

• Syllophopsis australica (Forel, 1907)
• Syllophopsis subcoeca (Emery, 1894)

Syscia

• Syscia typhla Roger, 1861

Tapinoma

• Tapinoma annandalei (Wheeler, 1928)
• Tapinoma indicum Forel, 1895
• Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius, 1793)

Technomyrmex

• Technomyrmex albipes (Smith, 1861)
• Technomyrmex bicolor Emery, 1893
• Technomyrmex brunneus Forel, 1895
• Technomyrmex elatior Forel, 1902
• Technomyrmex horni Forel, 1912

Tetramorium

• Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander, 1846)
• Tetramorium curvispinosum Mayr, 1897
• Tetramorium indicum Forel, 1913
• Tetramorium insolens (Smith, 1861)
• Tetramorium lanuginosum Mayr, 1870
• Tetramorium mayri (Forel, 1912)
• Tetramorium obesum André, 1887
• Tetramorium pacificum Mayr, 1870
• Tetramorium pilosum Emery, 1893
• Tetramorium simillimum (Smith, 1851)
• Tetramorium smithi Mayr, 1879
• Tetramorium tonganum Mayr, 1870
• Tetramorium tortuosum Roger, 1863
• Tetramorium transversarium Roger, 1863
• Tetramorium walshi (Forel, 1890)
• Tetramorium yerburyi Forel, 1902

Tetraponera

• Tetraponera allaborans (Walker, 1859)
• Tetraponera nigra (Jerdon, 1851)
• Tetraponera nitida (Smith, 1860)
• Tetraponera rufonigra (Jerdon, 1851)

Trichomyrmex

• Trichomyrmex aberrans (Forel, 1902)
• Trichomyrmex criniceps (Mayr, 1879)
• Trichomyrmex destructor (Jerdon, 1851)
• Trichomyrmex emeryi laevior (Mayr, 1897)
• Trichomyrmex glaber (André, 1883)
• Trichomyrmex mayri (Forel, 1902)
• Trichomyrmex rogeri Mayr, 1865
• Trichomyrmex wroughtoni Forel, 1911

Tyrannomyrmex

• Tyrannomyrmex legatus Alpert, 2013

Vollenhovia

• Vollenhovia escherichi Forel, 1911

Uncertain species

The following species were described from Sri Lanka but their true identities are currently unknown.

• Formica fuscicauda Motschoulsky, 1863
• Formica subpicea Motschoulsky, 1863
• Myrmica obscurata Motschoulsky, 1863
• Myrmica pilinodis Motschoulsky, 1863

References

• Dias, R.K.S., Benoit, G., Akbar, S.A., Economo, E.P., Udayakantha, W.S., Wachkoo, A.A. 2020. The ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Sri Lanka: a taxonomic research summary and updated checklist. ZooKeys 967, 1–142 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.967.54432).
• Dias R.K.S., Kosgamage, K.R.K.A., Peiris, H.A.W.S. 2012. The taxonomy and conservation status of ants (Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. In: The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Weerakoon, D.K. & S. Wijesundara Eds., Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka. pp. 11-19.
• Dias, R.K.S., Ruchirani, H.P.G.R.C., Kosgamage, K.R.K.A. & Peiris, H.A.W.S. 2013. Frequency of nest occurrence and nest density of Aneuretus simoni Emery (Sri Lankan Relict Ant) and other ant fauna in an abandoned rubber plantation (Kirikanda Forest) in southwest Sri Lanka. Asian Myrmecology 5, 59–67.
• Dias, R. K. S., W. S. Udayakantha, A. A. Wachkoo, and S. A. Akbar. 2018. New Records of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Sri Lanka , Including Four Tramp Species. Sociobiology. 65:449-455. doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v65i3.3180
• Sriyani Dias, R.K. 2006. Current taxonomic status of ants (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. The Fauna of Sri Lanka: 43-52.
• Karunaratne, W.A.I.P., Karunarathna, D.A.G.N.B. 2020. Species assemblages and diversity of litter ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) along an altitudinal gradient across two vegetation types in Hanthana Forest in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Ceylon Journal of Science 49, 317-321 (doi:10.4038/cjs.v49i3.7783).
• Udayakantha, W.S., Dias, R.K.S., Rajapakse, R.P.K.C. 2023. Geographical records of six common ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in three climatic zones of Sri Lanka. Caucasian Entomological Bulletin 19(1), 71–78 (doi:10.23885/181433262023191-7178).