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Monday, March 31, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
කූඩලු [Koodalu](Impatiens leptopoda)
An endemic herb growing among rocks or on banks of streams and rivers in rain forests and thickets in more open places of the hill country(Above 1200m a.s.l). Flowers are variable in size and color and color varies from pink, mauve-pink to white with a dark magenta spot towards the base of each pair of lateral united petals.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Drepanosticta anamia
Drepanosticta anamia is a recently described endemic damselfly inhabiting small to mid-size shaded stream habitats in primary and secondary wet zone forests from 50-800m a.s.l. altitude in 22 localities in Kegalle, Nuwaraeliya, Colombo, Kaluthara, Rathnapura Galle and Mathara districts (Bedjanič, M., 2010). As per M. Bedjanič flight season stretches from end of April to September with a single end-February record.
My Observations
Above specimen was photographed at Meethirigala forest reserve of Gampaha district adding one more locality to already described 22 locations. It has been observed there in May and June of 2011 and July 2012.
References
Bedjanič, M., 2010. Three new Drepanosticta species from Sri Lanka (Zygoptera: Platystictidae). Odonatologica 39(3): 195-215.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Friday, March 21, 2014
Red Helen (Papilio helenus)
Red Helen is a rare butterfly found in wet zone forests in all the year round. The males are fond of settling on damp earth on the roads and stream beds. When resting with open wings the forwing is drawn back over the yellow color patches of the hind wing as shown in the picture above, probably to avoid unwanted attraction of predators. Larva feeds on Zanthoxylum tetraspermum, Citrus japonica, and Kudumiris[කුඩුමිරිස්] (Toddalia asiatica) in the field.(Larva also fed on Citrus madurensis [නස් නාරන්] and Citrus sinensis leaves when offered in the lab.)
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Jerdon's Nightjar/Large-tailed Nightjar/Long-tailed Nightjar/Horsfield's Jungle Nightjar/ දිගුපෙඳ බිම්බස්සා [Dhigupedha bimbassa] (caprimulgus atripennis)
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Thursday, March 13, 2014
කටකළුවා/මුදුහබරා[Katakaluva/Muduhabara]/Trinket Snake (Coeloganthus helena)
The Trinket snake is a common non-venomous, terrestrial snake widely distributed in lowlands up to about 600m elevation. It can be found both in forests and anthropological habitats mostly closer to water bodies. It is active during morning hours as well as dusk and considered as a diurnal snake though nocturnal habitats have been observed too. When cornered Trinket snake expands its fore body and open mouth displaying its black color. Hence the vernacular name Katakaluwa (One with a black mouth). It feeds on rodents, frogs and lizards.
* One depicting in above photographs is a juvenile albino snake with about 36mm length, encountered in a home garden. Distinct black lines of the neck region and black streak behind the eye are faint of this specimen unlike it is with normal snakes. It had red eyes as it is always with albino animals.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
Bladderwort (Utricularia moniliformis)
Only endemic member of the bladderwort flower family with local distribution in south-central hills of Sri Lanka (750-2300m a.s.l). It can be found on wet rocks as well as tree trunks. Flowering from July to December. It is a insectivorous tiny herb which lacks true roots to absorb nutrients from the soil. Bladderwort plants have tiny hollow sacks less than 1mm in diameter (bladders) that lie below ground level to capture and digest small protozoans and insect larva.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Monday, March 3, 2014
කූඩලු [Koodalu](Impatiens cornigera)
Labels:
Balsaminaceae,
Endemic Flora,
Flora
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Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Blank Swift (Caltoris kumara)
Blank Swift is a rare butterfly found in hill country above 300ft (Woodhouse L.G.O, 1950). Ormiston recorded it from Haldummulla and hills above Rathnapura and Woodhouse from Corbet's gap[most months of the year] and Madugoda [plentiful in March and Apri] (Woodhouse L.G.O, 1950 & Ormiston W., 1924). Above photograph was taken at Sinharaja World Heritage site (~1700ft a.s.l). Its larva feeds on Davidsea attenuata and also Bambusa multiplex only when offered.
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