Diversity of Soil Invertebrate Communities near the Gohagoda Dumping Site and dawattakele Forest Reserve in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Tiger Beetles are one of the most studied caraboid groups in the world which includes highly predacious active adults and sedentary larvae. Over 2300 species of tiger beetles have been described and are found worldwide except in Antarctica, the Arctic and very remote isolated oceanic islands. The Indian subcontinent is reported to have a rich diversity of tiger beetles with over 150 described species belonging to a single genus Cicindela (sensu lat.) . Sri Lanka is considered as a global hot spot of tiger beetle diversity with 32 species out of the 55 recorded species being endemic to the country despite the smaller land extent compared to other countries of the Indian subcontinent. The recorded species belong to thirteen genera of which sub genus Ifasina consists of eight species of which the majority are endemic to Sri Lanka . Cylindera ( Ifasina ) waterhousei Horn 1900 is an endemic tiger beetle species which belongs to sub-genus Ifasina Jeannel, 1946. Examination of past distribution records available from 1984 to 2011 indicates the occurrence of C. waterhousei from six locations in the western Province and sabaragamuwa Province-kitulgala, Kegalle district, sabaragamuwa Province (1979); Karawanella, Kegalle district, sabaragamuwa Province (1979); Awissawella, Colombo district, western Province (1979); Labugama, Colombo district, western Province (1979); Ratnapura district, sabaragamuwa Province (1979), Bopath Ella, Ratnapura District, Sabaragamuwa Province (2003). In the present study conducted in August 2014, fifteen specimens of this species were collected from sandy banks of a tributary of Kalu Ganga in Ingiriya and Domabagaskanda Forest Reserve in Kalutara district where it has not been recorded before despite the extensive surveys conducted in the past. Further, specimens were also collected from Bopath Ella, Ratnapura district. This is the first time that C. waterhousei has been recorded from Kalutara district even though the species has been recorded in other locations of the western Province. Sampling was conducted by visual encounter surveys (VES) along 100 m transect. During 2003 to 2010 period this endemic species was reported only from the sandy banks of Bopath Ella in Ratnapura District. These new records indicate a possible range expansion for the species and contribute largely to the knowledge on distribution of C. waterhousei in Sri Lanka. Keywords: Tiger Beetles, Endemic, Cylindera ( Ifasina ) waterhousei, Kalutara district