බෝවිටියා [Bowitiya] (Osbeckia parvifolia)

An indigenous prostrate to ascending herb common in grasslands, open areas, among rocks and along roads in montane zone. Flowering throughout the year.

Tailless Lineblue (Prosotas dubiosa indica)

Common butterfly found in forests and such well wooded areas throughout the island. Male settles frequently on damp earth to absorb minerals. Larva feeds on Senegalia caesia (හිඟුරු වැල්), Dalbergia rostrata, Mimosa diplotricha (Giant sensitive plant/Creeping mimosa), Mimosa pudica (නිදිකුම්ඹා/Sensitive plant/Touch-me-not), Albizia odoratissima (සූරිය මාර), Pithecellobium dulce (මැනිලා සියඹලා/Madras thorn/Manila Tamarind), Samanea saman (මාර/පිනි මාර/පාරෙ මාර/Rain tree) and Allophylus cobbe (බූ-කොබ්බෑ\කොබ්බෑ).

Lobelia heyneana

An indigenous annual herb common in shady and moist places of  hill country. Flowering January to October.

Kelaart's Dwarf Toad/කෙලාර්ට්ගේ කුරු ගෙම්බා[Kelaartge Kuru Gemba] (Adenomus kelaartii)

Kelaart's Dwarf Toad is an endemic frog inhabiting wet zone forests and adjoining well wooded areas from lowlands to sub-montane region. It is a terrestrial species though occasionally climbs on trees and walls of the rural houses. Kelaart's Dwarf Frog active mainly during the night and in the day time it hides under rocks, decaying logs and  among leaf litter along stream banks. Sometimes more than one individuals can be seen hiding together in a same rock crevice.

Knoxia platycarpa var. hirsuta [Syn: Knoxia hirsuta]

An endemic herb common in forests and open areas of montane zone. Flowering throughout the year.

New distribution record for Libellago corbeti (van der Poorten, N., 2009)

Introduction

Libellago corbeti (Ebony Gem) is an endemic damselfly first identified in July 2007 from two male specimens seen near Kudawe and later on another two females from same locality in April 2008. It was described as a new species by Nancy van der Poorten in 2009 (van der Poorten, N., 2009). Additional sightings of it from the type locality as well as from several other forests of the south western wet zone were recorded subsequently (van der Poorten, N., 2011). Those additional places are -

1)      Near the start of the Moulawella nature trail, river running down from the Kudawa entry point and near the stream beside research station in the Sinharaja forest reserve.

2)      A stream in the Haycock hill – Hiniduma.

3)      A stream in the Morapitiya forest reserve.

4)      A stream near entrance of Kanneliya forest reserve.

5)      A specimen collected in 1892 by Col. Yerbury from Kottawa (Probably the Kottawa forest reserve of Galle) and now deposited at Natural History Museum London.

Observation

During a field visit to the Katepola, a remote village in Rathnapura district on 25^th of  December 2013 we could photograph a male specimen of Libellago corbeti in a stream - a upper tributary of Kalu river -  beside a rubber plantation.  Eventhough the stream running through rubber estates and home gardens, stream itself and banks are well wooded and home to considerable number of fauna and flora including several endemics.  Libellago corbeti both males and females have been observed in that stream since May 2013 (Ishara Harshajith Wijewardhane, Personal communication, December 25, 2013)

Discussion

Hitherto all published records of Libellago corbeti are from dense rain forest streams and this might be the first sighting of it from a disturbed habitat and also from a site with least protection from environmental authorities, unlike all other places mentioned above with considerable protection under the law. This record of it from further north of the type locality and all other additional places indicates that it might be distributed in wider area and also not very rare as previously thought. Currently it is categorized as a critically endangered species (van Der Porten N. & Karen Conniff , 2012)

 

References

van der Poorten, N., 2009. Libellago corbeti sp. nov. from Sri Lanka (Odonata: Chlorocyphidae). International Journal of Odonatology 12 (2): 223-230, pl. V.

van der Poorten, N., 2011. Additional records of Libellago corbeti van der poorten, 2009 in Sri Lanka with additional comparative notes on behavior. Agrion Newsletter of the worldwide dragonfly association 15(1): 18-20.

van Der Porten N. & Karen Conniff,  2012. The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of the Dragonfly Fauna (Insecta: Odonata) of 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. 1-11 pp

ගල් කරඳ/රුවන් කරඳ[Gal karadha/Ruan Karadha]/(Humboldtia laurifolia)

An endemic small tree common in damp places of wet zone forest understory. 

කඳු අහිරාවා/පොල් අහිරාවා/ගෝමර අහිරාවා/Banded Mountain Loach (Schistura notostigma)

Banded Mountain Loach is an endemic fish found in clear fast flowing shady streams in wet zone up to hills.

Devil's fig (Solanum asperolanatum [Syn: Solanum hispidum])

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Native shrub of Peruvian Andes.  Escape of Hakgala botanical garden in 1926 and now naturalized along roadsides and forest edges in the hill country at about 1500m altitude. Above plant was photographed at Pattipola - Horton plains road.

Large-billed Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus magnirostris)

Common migrant to forests and well wooded gardens of both wet and dry zone from lowlands to higher hills.  It feeds in canopy usually as solitary birds or as scattered individuals in the same area. Large-billed Warbler breeds in the Himalayas.

වල් කපුරු[Wal-Kapuru] (Gaultheria fragrantissima [Syn: Gaultheria leschenaultii])

An indigenous and endangered shrub common in montane forests. Flowering from April to May (Flora of Ceylon Vol 13). 

Cornelian (Deudorix epijarbas epijarbus)

A rare butterfly found in jungles and open areas of the low country up to elevations of about 1000m. It take part in migrations. It seems that this butterfly was much more abundant in Ormiston's and Woodhouse's time than today. Ormiston noted of a large flight of them in August, 1915 at Haldummulla travelling west and again exceptionally large flight at Pattipola in November, 1917 flying south. (Ormiston W., 1924).Woodhouse in 1950 also mentioned it as a 'Not rare' butterfly (Woodhouse L.G.O., 1950). Larva feeds on Cardiospermum halicacabum (පෙනෙල-වැල්/Baloon vine) and Dodonaea viscosa.

යෝධ බෝවිටියා[Yodha Bowitiya]Cancer vert/Purple plague,Velvet tree/Bush current(Miconia calvescens)

Small tree introduced as an ornamental plant due to its large attractive leaves. Native to central and south America from Mexico to Argentina. Now become naturalized in disturbed forest areas of montane zone. Listed as an invasive plant to the country. Common in Ginigathhena area. 

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)

Very common winter migrant inhabiting saltarns, estuaries, lagoons, mud-flats and marshes of dry zone coastal areas and occasionally in wet zone. It occurs as large to small flocks, sometime associating with other waders and feeds busily on numerous small organisms, worms, molluscs etc. exposed in mud-flats when tide is running out.  It breeds in Tundra in arctic eastern Asia.

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Robiquetia brevifolia

An endemic orchid species found in montane and sub-montane forests. Flowering from February to April and again on Sepetember (Flora of Ceylon Vol 2). However flowers are not uncommon even during mid-November in Horton Plain National Park (Personal observation, 2013)

Yellow-eared Bulbul(Pycnonotus penicillatus)

An endemic bird common in forests, well wooded home gardens and such habitats from mid to higher hills. Yellow-eared Bulbul usually lives as pairs or as small flocks and feeds on fruits and insects in bushes and low trees, moving from tree to tree, usually uttering its flight call. The breeding season last from March to April and probably again from August to September. It build a cup shape nest with green moss, rootlets, etc. placed in a fork of low tree or on a hanging branch.

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

නෙලු[Nelu] (Strobilanthes pulcherrima)

Locally common endemic shrub of open hill forest undergrowth, scrub lands and roadsides from 1000 to 2000m altitude. Flowers in 12 years cycles. The plant die after the seeds ripen.

කට කලු කටුස්සා/Black-cheek Lizard/Dark-lipped Lizard(Calotes nigrilabris)

An endemic lizard confine to submontane and montane areas of elevation 1000m and above. It is common in Horton plains national park. Hakgala, Nuwaraeliya and Peak wilderness. Black-cheek Lizard is an arboreal species and during the day time it feeds on insects, millipedes and also sometime on other smaller agamides like juvenile Rhino-horn Lizard and Pygmy Lizard (Somaweera R. & Somaweera N., 2009). As also seen in above picture, in Horton Plan National Park it is usually observed staying on Rhodondron arboreum zeylanicum [මහ රත් මල්] and Gorse[Ulex europaeus] flowers, which attract insects.  Anslem de Silva  noted that during the night they descend from trees and sleeping is done on grass blades (de Silva A., 2007)

de Silva A., 2007 - The diversity of Horton plains national park (with specieal reference to its herpetofauna)

මා රත්මල්[Ma Rathmal]/Rhododendron (Rhododendron arboreum zeylanicum)

Small tree usually with twisted trunk found in forests and patana grasslands in the upper montane areas. Common about 1400m above sea level. The subspecies zeylanicum is endemic to the Sri Lanka. Flowering from February to July.

One-spot Grass Yellow (Eurema ormistoni)

Rare endemic butterfly found in wet zone forests up to elevation of about 3500ft. As per Woodhouse "it can be taken in numbers at the right time-April and July to September..." (Woodhouse L.G.O.,1950). d'Abrera also noted that it has only been sighted at certain times of the year from April sporadically to September (d' Abrera Bernard, 1998). Above specimen was photographed at Ingiriya forest reserve (Dombagaskandha) in mid February. Its larval host plants are Ventilago madraspatana (යකඩ වැල් ) and Ventilago gamblei.