වල් අබ/රන් මානිස්ස/Wal-Aba/Ran-Manissa/Yellow Spider Flower (Cleome viscosa)

An indigenous and very common herb found along roadsides, cultivated grounds and rocky and sandy places. 

Mexican fireweed/Lesser green poinsettia (Euphorbia heterophylla)

An introduced very common weed widely distributed throughout the island along roadsides and waste places. It is a native plant of tropical America.  

Large Cuckooshrike/මහ කොවුල්සැරටිත්තා/මහ කොවුල්ඇස්පටියා[Maha Kovulsaratiththa/Maha Kovulaspatiya] (Coracina macei)

An uncommon breeding resident found in forest areas of lowlands up to mid hills. It is less common in wet zone. Usually a solitary bird though some time occurs as pairs or as small flocks. Large Cuckooshrike is a bird of the canopy and feeds mainly on insects. It's breeding season is from May to June and lays 2 eggs in a shallow cup made out of fine twigs, leaf-stalks, lichens etc. and felted together with cobwebs.

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Redspot (Zesius chrysomallus)

Common butterfly found all over the island from lowlands to mid hills up to about 2500ft. Larvae of Red spot has symbiotic relationship with large red ants. Red ants feed on liquid exuded by the larvae and in turn are attended by them. The larva feeds on Terminalia bellirica, Bridelia retusa (කැටකෑල), Canthium coromandelicum, Terminalia catappa (කොට්ටම්බා/කොට්ටන්/Indian almond/Country almons),  Terminalia arjuna (කුඹුක්), Falcataria moluccana (මාර), Symplocos acuminata, Cassia fistula (ඇහැළ/Indian Laburnum/Shower of Gold), Psidium guajava (පේර/Guava), Dendrophthoe falcata (පිලිල),  Cassia roxburghii (රතු වා/Ceylon cassia/Red cassia),  Senna auriculata (රණවරා/Matara Tea/Tanner's Cassia), Grewia damine (දමිණිය), Acacia longifolia, and Sesbania grandiflora (කතුරු මුරුංගා/Agati/Vegetable hummongbird).

කබර රදනකයා(Kabara Radanakaya)/ඉරි කරවලා(Iri karawala)/Shaw’s Wolf Snake/ (Lycodon striatus)

Shaw’s Wolf Snake is a small (100-400mm) terrestrial and nocturnal snake distributed mostly in wet zone though occurs rarely also in intermediate and dry zone areas. It is a non venomous and inoffensive snake, which balls itself and hides its head underneath these coils (See right bottom picture) when disturbed.  It preys mainly on geckos and skinks during the night and stay under decaying logs, loose soil, earth cracks and leaf litter during the day time. Parental care of eggs is observed among these snakes and it lays 2-3 eggs.

බෙරු - දියනිල්ල/Beru-diyanilla/Creeping water primrose (Ludwigia adscendens)

An indigenous common herb with prostrate floating stems, grows in water margins of ponds, tanks and flooded paddy fields in the low country. 

නිල් කටරොළු/Nil Katarolu/Blue butterfly pea/Butterfly bean (Clitoria ternatea)

An indigenous (Introduced ? >>) slender vine found along roadsides and scrub lands in the dry low lands while cultivated in home gardens of the moist regions. Flowering throughout the year and sometime white forms and much longer flowers occurs in cultivation. 

Apefly (Spalgis epeus epeus)

Rare butterfly distributed in the low country to mid hills of about 500m a.s.l. As per Woodhouse Larva of Apefly unlike with other butterflies feeds on scale insects (Coccidae) especially “Mealy bug” and is never known to eat vegetable food (Woodhouse L.G.O. 1950) But de’Abrera stated that it is just a keeping company with Mealybugs (de’Abrera B., 1998). Pupa is remarkably like the head and face of an ape. Hence its vernacular name Apefly. 

Tree Nymph (Idea iasonia)

An endemic and rare butterfly found in wet forests from lowlands to higher hills. Occurs rarely also in some Northern and Eastern dry zone forests. It is usually found near water streams and easily notice by its floating and sailing like slow flight, often high among tree tops. Its only known larval food plant is Parsonsia alboflavescens (කිරි අඟුණ/වල් අඟුණ)

වතු-සුද්ද/Sri Lanka Jasmine/Grape-Jasmine/Wathu-Sudhdha (Tabernaemontana divaricata)

Large shrub flowering throughout the year. Native to the Southern Himalayas and cultivated in Sri Lankan gardens since ancient time as an ornamental plant.  Variety with broad corolla lobes also exist. 

ගස්-ලබු/පැපොල්/Papaya (Carica papaya)

Small tree with usually unbranched stem of about 5 to 7 m tall.  Native to tropical America and cultivated throughout the island. Fruits edible. 

නමිනම්/Nam-Nam (Cynometra cauliflora)

Native tree of Malaysia introduced into Sri Lanka apparently before mid 18^th century. Fruits edible.

පිළිල/Pilila (Dendrophthoe falcata)

An indigenous common half-parasite growing on the branches of trees. Widespread throughout the country except higher montane zone and common in the dry zone. Flowering throughout the year. 

ගම්-පිල/කටු-පිල/Gam-Pila/Katu-Pila/Wild Indigo/Fishpoison (Tephrosia purpurea)

Common indigenous herb found along roadsides, waste lands and near seacoast in the low country. 

හීන් කරඹ/Heen-Karamba (Carissa spinarum)

A very common indigenous small shrub with spines on the node, distributed throughout the low country dry zone in jungles, roadsides, along forest edges and especially in disturbed vegetation. Flowering throughout the year. 

Blue Percher (Diplacodes trivialis)

A very common dragonfly of the lowlands up to mid hills. It inhabits rice fields, weedy tanks, streams beaches and footpaths, often far from the water unlike most other dragonflies. 

කටු පතොක්/Katu Pathok (Opuntia dillenii)

Native to the South America. Introduced as an ornamental plant and now naturalized common weed in sandy places of dry and arid zone especially in Bundala and Yala national parks.  Fruit edible.

Forget-me-not (Catochrysops strabo)

Common butterfly occurs all over the dry lowlands up to about 3500ft, especially in abandoned paddy fields and chena lands.  Its larva feeds on Cajanus cajan (රට තෝර/Dhal/Pigeon Pea/Chick Pea/Red Gram), Flemingia lineata, Phyllodium pulchellum, Rhynchosia cana, Tephrosia purpurea (ගම්-පිල/කටු-පිල/Wild Indigo/Fishpoison), Tephrosia villosa (බූ පිල/Hoarypea) and  Indigofera linnaei (බිං අවරි)

Asian Palm Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis)

Common breeding resident in low country and lower hills especially where palm trees such as Palmyras or Talipots are available.  It keeps in flocks and spends its time flitting about in open areas in search for small flying insects. It breeds probably year round and the nest is a small cup of feathers and cotton, glued with its saliva under fan-palm leaf or occasionally the fronds of the Areca or Betetnut palm (Only if no fan-palm is available). 

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Cingalese Bushbrown (Mycalesis rama)

An endemic and rare butterfly occurs in forested areas with bamboo in the low country wet zone.  The larva is believed to be feed on Ochlandra stridula (Bamboo/බට).