Tag Archives: Gomphus ceylonicus Hagen in Selys

Anisogomphus ceylonicus (Hagen in Selys)

Ceylon Clubtail (Anisogomphus ceylonicus)

The Ceylon Clubtail was described in 1878 on the basis of a single, female specimen. Another specimen, a male, was collected in 1962 (?), but was described in 1971 as a distinct species (Anisogomphus solitaris Lieftinck), the synonymy of both was only recognized in 2013. [1]

The species is endemic to Sri Lanka, it is mainly black with some yellow markings on its head, thorax and the front part of its abdomen.

The Ceylon Clubtail is apparently extremely rare or even completely extinct now.

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References:

[1] Matjaž Bedjanič; Nancy van der Poorten: On the synonymy of two endemic clubtails from Sri Lanka (Anisoptera: Gomphidae). Agrion 17(2): 44-47. 2013

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edited: 12.01.2019