NONCHORDATES
Although knowledge of invertebrate diversity in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka is poor, the hotspot is believed to have significant levels of endemism within certain groups. For example, more than 100 of nearly 140 tiger beetle species are endemic. However, this may not hold true across groups: the number of butterfly species in this region is relatively low, with only 37 endemics of 330 in the Western Ghats, and 24 of 234 species endemic to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has a number of unique endemics, including Aneuretus simoni, the only surviving representative of one of the world’s 14 ant subfamilies. It also hosts more than 50 known species of endemic freshwater crabs (all in the Parathelphusidae family), all of them endemic. These species are gravely threatened by habitat fragmentation and degradation, as well as by pesticide use in nearby areas. A preliminary assessment of their conservation status indicates that they are in dire straits: of the 51 species, 23 are listed as Critically Endangered, seven as Endangered, and another seven as Vulnerable.
Sri Lanka has a number of unique endemics, including Aneuretus simoni, the only surviving representative of one of the world’s 14 ant subfamilies. It also hosts more than 50 known species of endemic freshwater crabs (all in the Parathelphusidae family), all of them endemic. These species are gravely threatened by habitat fragmentation and degradation, as well as by pesticide use in nearby areas. A preliminary assessment of their conservation status indicates that they are in dire straits: of the 51 species, 23 are listed as Critically Endangered, seven as Endangered, and another seven as Vulnerable.
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