Ceylonosticta alwisi, commonly known as Alwis's shadowdamsel, is a species of damselfly in the family Platystictidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Taxonomy
The species was described by Priyadarshana, Wijewardana, and Herath in 2016. The binomial name is Ceylonosticta alwisi.
Etymology
The species name alwisi honors Lyn De Alwis, the founder of the Young Zoologists' Association of Sri Lanka (established in 1972) and a former director of the National Zoological Garden in Dehiwala.
Distribution and Habitat
Ceylonosticta alwisi is endemic to Sri Lanka. It was recently discovered in the Samanala Nature Reserve, located in Ratnapura. The species inhabits dense tropical forests with abundant vegetation and a variety of tree species. It favors small streams near highland bogs and forested roadsides where moisture levels remain consistently high.
Conservation Status
The species is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Odonata
- Suborder: Zygoptera
- Family: Platystictidae
- Genus: Ceylonosticta
- Species: C. alwisi
