Yerbury’s Elf (Tetrathemis yerburyii)

A very rare endemic dragonfly of small size inhabits ponds and stagnant pools along streams of mid-hill rainforests. Museum specimens were so far collected from Hanguranketha, Hatton and Kandy (The dragonflies of Sri Lanka – Terrence the Fonseka). Therefore de Fonseka has noted that it is confined to the submontane areas of the island. However above picture was taken at the Horagolla national park (7° 8'29.44"N,  80° 5'2.83"E) a lowland rain forest patch of about 33acres in Gampaha district 170 ft a.s.l.

Nigger (Orsotriena medus mandata)

Common butterfly flies in southern part of the island from sea level to about 5000ft a.s.l. all the year round. It is scarce in the North. The eggs are laid on the under side of a blade of varies grass species of the family Poaceae and larva feeds on them such as Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus),  Leersia hexandra (ලෙව්/Bareet Grass), Oryza sativa and Panicum maximum(ගිනි තණ/Guinea grass).

Mexican flame leaf/Poinsettia/Christmas star (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

Native plant of Mexico. Introduced and cultivated in home gardens due to its attractive red bracts around the small yellow and orange flowers. Also escaped and naturalized in hill country, especially along roads.

Dark-fronted Babbler (Rhopocichla atriceps)

Dark-fronted Babbler is a bird of forest undergrowth of all zones. Generally found in as small flocks feeding on insects among foliage. The main breeding season is from February to May and perhaps again from October to November.  The nest is a ball of dead leaves with wide opening in one side, placed on a fork of tree.

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

රන්හිරිය[Ranhiriya] (Vicoa indica [Syn: Pentanema indicum])

Common indigenous herb of roadsides and abandoned chena cultivations, especially of Northern dry zone.

Rough – horn Lizard (Ceratophora aspera)

Endemic and endangered lizard lives in lowland and submontane Dipterocarp forests of the wet zone. Rough – horn Lizard  is a ground dwelling and slow moving lizard which inhabits leaflitter of the shaded forests, usually as pairs. 

Black Flat ( Celaenorrhinus spilothyrus )

Black Flat is a common butterfly usually found in jungles of wet lowlands to mid hills.  Woodhouse remarks that “At Corbet’s gap, near Madugoda, it can be taken all the year round and both sexes are plentiful there in March and April” (Woodhouse L.G.O. The Butterfly fauna of Ceylon 1950).  Male Black Flat of above picture was also taken at same area while on my way to  Dothalugala peak.  It has a habit of settling on the underside of a leaf with its wings spread out flat and  it seldom flies far even disturbed.  Its larva feeds on Barleria arnottiana, Barleria involucrata, Strobilanthes adenophora, Strobilanthes viscosa var. viscosa, Gymnostachyum sanguinolentum, Strobilanthes diandra, Strobilanthes lupulina, Strobilanthes rhamnifolia, and Strobilanthes vestita

සිංහ මුඛ[Sinha-Muka]/Willowleaf angelonia (Angelonia salicariifolia)

Native to Brazil. Introduced to Sri Lanka as an ornamental plant in 1847. Since then it has naturalized along the borders of ditches, ponds and tanks of low country. Flowering throughout the year. 

Ashy Woodswallow/තල්ගස් කුරුල්ලා/අළු වනලිහිණියා [Thalgas Kurulla/ Alu Wanalihiniya] (Artamus fuscus)

Common breeding resident of all zones while getting less common in the hills. Usually found in open country with some trees such as forest edges, paddy fields etc. Often perches on telephone and electricity wires. Generally lives as flocks of  10-15 or more but sometimes occurring in pairs. It prey on insects on the wing and Henry (A guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka - G.M. Henry3rd revised and enlarged edition) described that it as a bird moves about the country a great deal, probably in response to weather conditions or abundances of its insect foods.  The breeding season is from February to June.

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Bloodberry/Pigeonberry/Rougeplant (Rivina humilis)

Native herb of tropical America. Introduced and naturalized widely in other tropical areas including Sri Lanka where it is distributed in roadsides, wastelands and forest edges especially of hill country.  

African Babul Blue (Azanus jesous gamra)

An uncommon butterfly of lowlands below 300m a.s.l. Much common in the dry zone and mostly appearing during the dry season of the year.  It is usually found settling at the end of a twig or thorn of a tree. It flies close to the ground and much fond of roadsides of the open areas or shrubs rather than jungles. Its food plants are Dichrostachys cinerea (අන්දර) and Vachellia nilotica (කටු කිහිරි)

African Babul blue also flies in Africa, Arabia and India. The larvae are attended by ants (Woodhouse L.G.O. The Butterfly fauna of Ceylon 1950)

Twelve o’clock flower (Turnera ulmifolia)

Native plant of West Indies. Introduced and naturalized along roadsides and waste lands of low country and also cultivated in home gardens as an ornamental plant. Flowers open at about 8.00 o’clock and close before noon. Hence the vernacular name. Flowering occurs all the year round.

Spotted House Gecko (Hemidactylus parvimaculatus)

A common house gecko distributed throughout the country excluding higher altitudes.  It can be distinguished from other species of the genus by 3 longitudinal rows of irregular dark brown spots which are smaller than eye and broken brown lateral band extending from snout to ear.  Dorsal surface of the body got tubercles. It prey on insects and also rice and such man-made foods. Cannibalism has been observed among them and territorial fighting are also common where aggregation of more individuals are occurred such as lampposts where insects are abundant during the night. However it is usually found as pairs or sometime as small groups. 

Wild bushbean (Macroptilium lathyroides)

An introduced weed common in low country waste lands and road sides. Native herb of tropical America. It flowers throughout the year. 

Oriental Scarlet (Crocothemis servilia servilia)

Very common dragonfly of tanks, ponds, paddy fields and marshes from low country to mid-hills. 

දිය පරඩැල්/Diya-paradel/Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)

Common native floating herb found in low country tanks, ponds and rice fields. Occasionally found also in brackish water ponds.  

Aberrant Bushblue(Arhopala abseus mackwoodi)

Aberrant Bushblue is one of the rarest butterflies of Sri Lanka though scattered records available from all elevations of the country. Here are some comments made by three pioneer authors on Sri Lankan butterfly on distribution of the Aberrant Bushblue.

 “I have never taken this personally, though, when fishing at Ambawella(6000ft) a small Amblypodia, settled close to me, which was either this or a new species. It is not very rare in the Hills above Ratnapura, and has been taken in Colombo” – Ormiston W. The Butterflies of Ceylon 1924

“It has not been captured for many years now, but Ormiston(1924) records…….” – Woodhouse L.G.O. The Butterfly fauna of Ceylon 1950

“This is a very rare butterfly, the only specimens I have seen being in the British Museum (Natural History)” – D’Abrera, Bernard, The butterflies of Ceylon -1998

Its only known larval food plant in Sri Lanka is Vateria copallifera

*Above picture was taken at one of the remaining wet lowland forest patch of Gampaha district. It is highlighting the necessity of immediate actions to conserve these places with high biodiversity. 

Lesser glory (Ipomoea obscura)

An Indigenous vine found along roadsides, waste lands, forest margins and sometimes on sandy beaches, both in wet and dry zones. 

නිල් මහගොයා[Nil maha goya]/ Green Imperial Pigeon(Ducula aenea)

Largest pigeon of the island and a resident of forests from lowland to lower hills. Usually found in upper canopy. Living as pairs or as small flocks (especially during fruiting season of varies trees). It is arboreal and feeds on fruits mainly in the morning and again in the evening. 

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

තෙබු[Thebu] (Hellenia speciosa [Syn: Costus speciosus])

An indigenous herb of about 2-3m height found in shady places of the low country. Roots use in traditional ayurvedic medicine to cure catarrhal fevers, coughs, dyspepsia, worms and skin diseases (Medicinal plants used in Ceylon part5 – D.M.A. Jayaweera).  Leaves edible and there is a popular belief that it can reduce the sugar level of the blood and hence good for diabetics patients.