Two previously unknown species of fireflies have been unearthed in Sri Lanka. Spearheading the finding is Dr. Dhammika Wijekoon, hailing from the Department of Zoology at the University of Ruhuna.

Dr. Wijekoon, alongside a team of researchers, has been meticulously conducting studies since 2009 within the Rammale forest reserve in Walasmulla, leading to the identification of these two distinct firefly species.These fireflies belong to a rare group found in South Asia, marking the first-ever documentation of their presence in Sri Lanka.

In tribute to their origins, one of the species has been christened after the University of Ruhuna, while the other bears the name of its habitat, the Rammale forest reserve.