Sunday, October 6, 2019

Common Guava Blue/Woodapple Blue (Virachola isocrates)

Rather common butterfly but seldom seen since it inhabits mainly the canopy. Widely distributed in arid, dry and intermediate zones of the country where its principal larval food plant Limonia acidissima (Woodapple/දිවුල්) grows. Its main flight season is from June to September. Larva feeds on the soft pulp of the Woodapple fruit after eating its way into the fruit through its hard shell. It also prevents the fruit fall by spinning a web around its stalk and top of the fruit. In Sri Lanka, Common Guava Blue  larva also feeds on කුකුරුමාන් (Catunaregam spinosa) and දෙළුම්/Pomergranate (Punica granatum) fruits.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Opaque 6-Lineblue (Nacaduba beroe minima)

An uncommon butterfly found in wet zone forests up to  900 m a.s.l.  Its larva feeds on flowers and flower buds of Dalbergia pseudo-sissoo (බඹර වැල්)

Friday, August 2, 2019

ගැරඬිදූල් වැල්/මැඩිය වැල් [Gerandi dul wel/Mediya wel](Cayratia pedata)

An indigenous liana grows in forest edges, river banks and roadsides up to 1000 m elevations. Flowering from August to June.

Flower size - 5-6 mm across

Thursday, August 1, 2019

ලොකට්/Loquat/Japan Plum/Japanese Medlar (Rhaphiolepis bibas [Syn: Eriobotrya japonica])

An introduced fruit tree native to the Japan and China. Occasionally cultivated in hill country gardens for its edible fruits and fragrant flowers. 

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Monday, July 15, 2019

Green Pergesa Hawkmoth (Pergesa acteus)

Location - Polgasowita
Wing expanse - 6 to 7 cm
Food PlantsElephant Ear/Caladium bicolor (Sujeeva GunasenaPersonal communication), පණු අල /Typhonium trilobatum (Moore F., 1882-3)
Life Cyclehttps://www.facebook.com/kamanijeeva/media_set?set=a.1299671540099821&type=3
Reference - The Lepidoptera of Ceylon - F. Moore, F.Z.S. Vol 2 Page 23.
External Linkshttps://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/322014-Pergesa-acteus

Monday, July 8, 2019

Drooping Shadowdamsel (Ceylonosticta lankanensis)

Commonest Shadowdamsel of Sri Lanka occurs from lowlands to mid-hills of southwestern part of the country in both forested steams as well as the disturbed habitats. It is also endemic to the island as all other Shadowdamsels. 

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Dark Forestdamsel (Platysticta apicalis)

Locally common insect inhabiting streams and rivulets of southwestern and central forested areas from lowlands to mid-hills. It occurs mainly during April to September. (Bedjanic, M., K. et. al. 2014)

Saturday, July 6, 2019

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Adam's Shadowdamsel (Ceylonosticta adami)

Adam's Shadowdamsel is one of the rarest endemic damselfly so far recorded only from few localities of the Knuckles range and its outskirts in the north-central part of the country . It was originally described from specimens collected from Madugoda near Urugalla in 1932 by F.C. Fraser.  After more than seven decades Karen Conniff observed and photographed it in Simpson's forest near Hunnasfalls in April 2006 and again in October 2007 and 2010. Karen Conniff and Matjaz Bedjanic observed a single juvenile female near Urugalla in end of May 2009. Matjaz Bedjanic also reported it from two streams in Simpson's forest in October 2012. Above pictures were taken at Dothalugala Camp Site area of the Knuckles mountain range.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Serendib Forestdamsel (Platysticta serendibica)

Common endemic damselfly inhabiting small streams in secondary and primary forests as well as the degraded habitats of the central and southwestern parts of the country. Much common in the wet low country but occurs also up to about 1000 m a.s.l. in the hills.  

Saturday, June 22, 2019

මහනුවර පඳුරු මැඩියා/Kandyan Shrub Frog(Pseudophilautus rus)

An endemic shrub frog common in low vegetation, leaf litter, moss covered stones and logs in both shaded forests as well as the anthropogenic habitats of the Kandy district from 500-800 m a.s.l. It is very active at dusk and can be seen calling from leaves and branches of shrubs less than 1 m above the ground. It hides inside leaf litter, crevices in trees and cracks in the soil during the day time. So far it has been reported from KandyPeradeniyaGelioyaGampola, etc. Peabotuwage et. al. recorded it from Uda Maliboda trail of the Samanala Nature Reserve in 2012. This one was also photographed in the same trail at a tributary of Seethawaka Ganga river.

Peabotuwage I, Bandara IN, Samarasinghe D, Perera N, Madawala M, Amarasinghe C, Kandambi HKD, Karunarathna DMSS. 2012. Range extension for Duttaphrynus kotagamai (Amphibia: Bufonidae) and a preliminary checklist of herpetofauna from the Uda Mäliboda Trail in Samanala
Nature Reserve, Sri Lanka. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 5(2):52-64(e38).

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

මුක්කං හොඹු ඇති පඳුරු මැඩියා/Pug nosed Shrub Frog (Pseudophilautus silus)

An endemic shrub frog inhabiting stream banks of both closed canopy rain forests and  open anthropogenic habitats from 1550 to 1600 m elevations. Two populations occurs near Agarapatana and Haputale on either side of the Horton plains plateau.  As per Anslem de Silva another population  found in Mandaramnuwara (de Silva A, 2009). This one was photographed at Bambarakanda waterfalls close to the Thangamale sanctuary where Haputale population was recorded.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

විශාල පාදැති පඳුරු මැඩියා/Bigfoot Shrub Frog(Pseudophilautus macropus)

An endemic shrub frog occurs only in the Knuckles massif from 600 to 760 m elevations. It found only on boulders and rock crevices in or adjacent to the streams flowing through both closed and open canopy habitats and rarely on tree trunks along stream banks.  

Sunday, June 16, 2019

දුම්බර පඳුරු මැඩියා/Knuckles Shrub Frog (Pseudophilautus fulvus)

An endemic shrub frog restricted to the Knuckles range from 450 to 1220 m elevations, inhabiting closed canopy habitats of natural forests, secondary forests, Cardamom cultivation and home gardens. It can be observed during the night on branches, tree trunks and moss-covered rocks. 

Friday, June 14, 2019

කුඩාකන් පඳුරු මැඬියා/Small eared Shrub Frog (Pseudophilautus microtympanum)

An endemic shrub frog inhabiting both primary and secondary montane forests as well as the home gardens and tea plantations from 1500  to 2140 m elevations in the central hills. It is the dominant frog in and around the Horton Plains National Park. Also occurs in Pattipola, Ambewela, Agara pathana and Nuwaraeliya. It calls throughout the day and night though usually hides during the day time under logs, tree holes, root crevices, rocks, under leaf litter and such other micro habitats. Eggs are laid in humus or at the base of grass tussocks. Juveniles are usually found among grassy vegetation and such other disturbed habitats. 

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Biophytum proliferum

An indigenous herb with branching stems, occurs in open sunny places such as among bushes in tea plantations and roadsides from mid hills to higher hills. Often forms large mats covering considerable space. Flowering throughout the year. 

Wednesday, June 12, 2019