Spotless grass yellow (Eurema laeta laeta)

Rather uncommon butterfly, found all the year round in patana grasslands of mid hills (500ft to 3000ft).Spotless grass yellow is a migratory species and its larva feeds on Chamaecrista leschenaultiana, Chamaecrista kleinii , Chamaecrista mimosoides and Chamaecrista nictitans (All Chamaecrista species are known as බිං සියඹලා in Sinhala)

Shrub vinca (Kopsia fruticosa)

Native plant of India and Malay Peninsula, cultivate as an ornamental plant in home gardens due to attractive white or pink flowers with dark pink eye. Flowering mainly during June to August months of the year.

පොල්කිච්චා[Polkichcha]/Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)

Very common breeding resident of gardens, cultivations and scrublands of all zones. It avoids deep forests. Oriental Magpie Robin feeds mainly on insect, hopping on the ground solitary or in pairs. But vegetable foods such as rice, bread and etc thrown out of the houses are also taken. It is active even after dusk and territorial call of the male can be heard again before sunrise often uttered from a top of  tall tree or a lamppost. Fierce combats between males occur occasionally. Main breeding season is from March to September and the nest is a mass of grasses in a tree hole.

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Smooth rattle box (Crotalaria pallida)

An indigenous shrub of scrub lands and road sides of both wet and dry low lands. 

Aggressive Riverhawk (Onychothemis tonkinensis ceylanica)

“Though the type has come from Sri Lanka, there is no specimen in the Museum collection, nor have any of the usual authors reported on having seen any specimens from here” noted Terrence de Fonseka in 2000 (The Dragonflies of Sri Lanka WHT Publication). However Aggressive Riverhawk is a rare dragonfly of streams and rivers of lowland and mid-hill forest areas.  Above picture  of Aggressive Riverhawk was taken at the Kanneliya forest reserve while it was preying upon a Grey Pansy (Junonia atlites)

සුදු-පරවිමල්[Sudu-parey-mal]/Pigeon orchid/white dove orchid (Dendrobium crumenatum)

An introduced epiphyte often cultivated in low country wet zone home gardens. Pigeon orchid is believed to be introduced from Malaya since it is native plant of Malaya, South-east Asia and Indonesia. Vernacular names related with white dove since resemblances of it flowers with Pigeons. 

බළල් සේරා(Balal Sera)/Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)

Common breeding resident bird of weed covered tanks and marshes in the low country. It lives as scattered flocks walking on the floating vegetation using their long toes and claws. It has a cat-like high-pitch mew, mew…. loud call and hence the Sinhala name Balal Sera. It feeds on seeds of varies water plants, grains and some aquatic insects, shrimps etc.. Breeding season is from February to July and nest, usually a water-logged pile of weeds among lotus leaves where it lays 3-4 bronze brown color eggs.

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ජපන් ජබර [Japan Jabara]/Water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes [Syn: Eichhornia crassipes])

A floating herb native to Brasil and other South American countries, which introduced and naturalized in tropical African and Asian countries including Sri Lanka. It was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1905 as an ornamental plant and now a common invasive plant in most water bodies such as tanks, canals, ponds etc of lowland dry and intermediate parts of the island . Propagated mainly by runners (stolons) which produced new plants.

Tropic Dart (Potanthus Confucius satra)

Common butterfly of all elevations of the island. Larva feeds on Panicum maximum and  Axonopus compressus (Only when offered) of family Poaceae.

Orange cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus)

Very common herb which was originally cultivated in gardens and now escaped and naturalized in waste lands, roadsides etc. A native of tropical America. 

Spine-tufted Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysis)

Locally common dragonfly of streams and pools of sub montane areas.

කිරලා[Kirala]/Red-wattled Lapwing/Did-he-do-it (Vanellus indicus)

Common resident of tank edges, paddy fields and open areas, usually not far from the water in the low country and lower hills while much common in dry zone. Usually it is encountered as pairs or small groups feeding on ground-dwelling insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, ants, termites, etc. walking hither and thither in typical plover fashion.  Breeding season is from April to September and lays four eggs in a shallow scrape on the ground among stones or debris. If an intruder approaches the nest it takes to wing and circles around the disturber screaming with its loud call did-he-do-it until the enemy has withdrawn.

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Red star cluster/Star flower (Pentas lanceolata)

Native to Eastern Africa and Southern Arabia. Widely cultivated in wet zone and intermediate zone home gardens while escaped and naturalized plants can be found in the vicinity of those home gardens. White and pink color varieties are also occurred.   

Thamba Seruwa/Lesser whistling Teal ( Dendrocygna javanica)

Common resident bird found in tanks, paddy fields and marshes of low country of the island. It lives as flocks of a dozen or so birds and feeds on paddy, insects and other small animals.  It is partially nocturnal and uttered its whistling call frequently in flight when heading to its feeding grounds during dusk from the day retreat which is usually a small islet in a tank or boughs of a dead tree standing in water. Breeding season is from December to January and again from July to August. Nest often place in a water side vegetation or holes in trees usually standing in water.

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පුවක්[Puwak]/Betel-nut palm (Areca catechu)

Common palm of home gardens in wet and intermediate zones of the island up to about 900m a.s.l. Also cultivated close to paddy fields and canals in dry lowlands. Seed betel-nut mastication with betel leaves, flowers use as temple offering and also use in traditional rituals, Leaf sheath as trays, bags and plates. Trunk – as timber in construction works.

Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra fraternal)

A common butterfly of low country up to about 1500ft elevations. Much common in areas where coconut cultivations are abundant since its larva feeds on varies plants of family Arecaceae (Palmae) such as Areca catechu (පුවක්/Betel-nut palm), Borassus flabellifer (තල්/Palmyra palm), Calamus rotang, Calamus thwaitesii (මා වේවැල්/වඳුරු වැල්/පුවක් වැල්/කත් වැල්), Caryota urens (කිතුල්), Cyrtostachys renda (Sealing Wax palm), Dypsis lutescens, Phoenix pusilla, Rhapis excelsa, Saribus rotundifolius  including Coconut (Cocos nucifera). Female Common Palmfly (shown in above picture) is very different from males and it mimic Plain tiger. 

කෝමාරිකා[Komarika] (Aloe vera)

A perennial herb which is believed to be a native plant of North Africa and desert regions of Arabia. Naturalized in North and North –West seashore and cultivate in home gardens in other areas of the Sri Lanka. Juice of the leaves is used to treat varies types of diseases in traditional Ayurvedic medicine including coughs, asthma, eye diseases, etc. 

Painted waxtail (Ceriagrion cerinorubellum)

Locally common damselfly of the low country wet zone. Found in weedy areas around paddy fields, streams and ponds.

හීන්තලා[Heen-tala]/American basil/Hoary basil ( Ocimum americanum)

An indigenous annual herb of waste grounds, road sides and such other places in low country dry zone. The leaves have pleasant camphor like scent.

Little ringed plover/පුංචි මාල ඔලෙවියා ( Charadrius dubius jerdoni)

Little ringed plover is a resident bird of marshes, mud-flats, drying tanks and paddy fields, sand banks etc. of the dry zone coastal areas supplemented by race curonicus during winter migrations. Occasionally it is recorded from Colombo and near by marshy areas like Kotte and Bellanwila-Attidiya, probably of migrant race. It feeds on varies small animals taken from dry ground or shallow water. Often feed as scattered flocks and when alarmed mass together and fly in a dashing manner. It breeds from May to July on gravely shores, sand dunes or islets of large tanks. Usually three stone colored eggs are laid in a small hollow scraped in a gravel bank.

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