Education : (Degree)

Ph.D. (Peradeniya )-2010
M.phil. (Peradeniya) 1997
B.Sc. (Jaffna) 1986

Membership in a professional organization

Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, London (FRES)
Member of Association for the Advancement of Entomology, India
Charter Biologist of Institute of Biology, Sri Lanka. (C.Biol.)
Chartered environmental professional (CEnvP.)
Member of Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science, Sri Lanka
Member of Jaffna Science Association, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Consultancy and Outreach

Member of the National Steering Committee of the Global Environment Facility/Small Grants Programme UNDP- Phase V since 2013- to date
Member of the Editorial Board – of International Journal of Environment (IJE) since 2013- to date
Member of the National Expert Committee on Mangrove Conservation and Sustainable Use” Under the state Ministry of Mahaweli development and Environment , Sri Lank since 2015.
Member of the sub -committee to prepare the ‘policy on mangrove conservation and sustainable use’ Under the state Ministry of Mahaweli development and Environment , Sri Lanka Since 2015
Member of Scientist forum of SEACOLOGY – SUDDESA for Sri Lanka mangrove conservation programme, from 2016

Involved in Projects for community development:

Organized and displayed exhibits under the theme
“Ensuring Non-toxic food production by integrating biodiversity in the Annual Northern Provincial Agricultural Exhibition- 2019”, held from 17th to 21st of September 2019. A team of the members of the Department of Zoology was fully engaged in demonstration of very good established models in two stalls, which was addressing the
“Theme –I: Food production with no toxins through biodiversity conservation
“Theme II: Parasites and their management in animal husbandry.

POLLINATOR CONSERVATION THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION – enhancing awareness to the general public.2016 on wards

SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC HOME GARDENING WITH THE MITIGATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE (drought) IN MARAVANPULO GS J- 298 JAFFANA DISTRICT since 2014

BASELINE ANALYSIS OF DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THONDAMANARU LAGOON – 2014-2015

Gnaneswaran, R (2019) New host for Goniagnathus ( Tropicognathus) punctifer (Walker) . a leafy vegetable Alternanthara sessilis (L.) R. Br. Ex DC. From Jaffna with the distribution of the genus (Cicadellidae: Deltacephalinae) In Sri Lanka . International Journal of Entomology Research. Vol. 4(2) Pp 71-73

Vathulan Sujanitha, Sivapalan Sivansuthan, W Venkatesh Luckshman, Rajendramani Gnaneswaran, Thangarajaha Jeyakanth, UPALA Gunarathna (2017) The clinical manifestations, outcome and identification of jellyfish stings in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Tropical Doctor DOI: 10.1177/0049475516684341

Prishanthini, M., Vinobaba, M. and Gnaneswaran, R. (2015) Association of the ants and the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis (Tinsley) population and its influence on the spread of mealy bugs in the home-gardens. Proceedings of the 10th ANeT International Conference, 23 – 26 October 2015.

Gnaneswaran, R. Eswaramohan, T and Sivakumar, P (2015) Degradation of Mangrove forest in Thondamanaru Lagoon Ecosystem , Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Ileperuma , OA, Priyantha, N, Yatigammana, SK, Wijesundara , C. and Madawala HMSP (editors) (2015): Symposium Proceedings, Fourth International Symposium on Water Quality and Human Health: Chanllenges Ahead, 01 & 02 August, PGIS, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. P-26.

Gnaneswaran, R. (2013). A Review of the genus Harmalia Fennah 1969 (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) recorded from Sri Lanka with the description of Harmalia heitensis otho Fennah 1975. Eds. Khanna et.al; Animal Diversity and their Conservation, Biotech Books. Pp. 287-296; ISBN: 978-81-7622-287-7

Viraktamath CA and R. Gnaneswaran (2013) Review of the grass feeding leafhopper genus Gurawa Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from the Indian Subcontinent with description of two new species. Entomon 38(4): 193-212. Submitted 03-06-2014 ; accepted 21-11-2014)

Gnaneswaran, R. (2012) Provisional Check list of the leafhoppers in Sri Lanka In : The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka: Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Weerakoon, D.K. & S. Wijesundara Eds., Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Pp. 431-437; ISBN: 978-955-0033-55-3

Gnaneswaran, R., K.S. Hemachandra, H.N.P. Wijayagunasekara and D. Ahangama (2010) A key for identification of Deltocephaline genera (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) Associated with vegetable ecosystem in Sri Lanka.”Short communication: Trop. Agri. Res. 21:4, 421-426.

Viraktamath, C.A. and Gnaneswaran, R. (2009) Three new species of Goniagnathus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from the Indian subcontinent with description of a new subgenus Zootaxa, 2224: 51-59.

Shanmugasundaram. J and Gnaneswaran. R . (2009) Effect of age of Plutella xylostella (lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) larvae on parasitoid development and its suitability for parasitization by cotesia plutellae (hymenoptera : braconidae ) Journal of Science and Management vol. I (1): 72-77.

Gnaneswaran, R., Hemachandra, K.S., Viraktamath, C.A. Ahangama, D, Wijayagunasekara,H.N.P and Wahundeniya, I. (2007) Idioscopus nagpurensis (Pruthi) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Idiocerinae): A new member of mango leafhopper complex in Sri Lanka. Trop. Agri. Res. Vol. 19: 78-90.

Gnaneswaran, R and Wijayagunasekara, H.N.P. (1999) Survey and Identification of insect pests of oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) culture in Central Province of Sri Lanka. Trop. Agric. Res. And Extension. Vol 2(1):21-25.

Gnaneswaran, R and Wijayagunasekara, H.N.P. (1996) Biology of Cyllodes bifacies (Walker) (Coleoptera :Cucujoidea: Nitidulidae) a pest of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) in Sri Lanka. Trop. Agri. Res. Vol. 8: 377-390.

I’m specialized in Entomology. My research focus is on insect ecology and taxonomy. I’m currently doing projects on diversity of Hemipteran bugs and parasitoids; biodiversity conservation through home gardens and mangrove ecosystem conservation in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.I confirmed the presence of 90 species of leafhoppers and 01 species of plant hopper associated with different ecosystems in Sri Lanka with the records of host plants.Among them 16 are new to Sri Lanka and two are new to science. One new subgenus was described and a 03 new species were declared with the collaboration of the University of Agricultural Sciences , Bangalore India. c. Another two new leafhopper species were declared with the collaboration with the collaboration of the University of Agricultural Sciences , Bangalore India (Viractamath & Gnaneswaran, 2014)