ඉලුක්[Illuk]/Blady Grass/Spear Grass/Cogon Grass (Imperata cylindrica)

An introduced perennial weed grows in coastal areas, sand dunes, open places, roadsides, waste lands,  agricultural fields, ditch banks, etc. from sea level to about 1200 m asl. It is ranked as one of the 10 worst invasive weeds of the world. Spear Grass usually flowering after stress such as drought, burning and cutting. The seeds disperse by the wind and remain viable for over one year. 

Common Evening Brown (Melanitis leda)

Very common butterfly found all over the island. It has a crepuscular habit and can be seen on the wing at dawn and dusk, though sometime active even day time in shady places. Under side of wings vary with season and wet season form is much darker than dry season form as shown in above figures. Common Evening Brown larva feeds by night on varies type of grasses [Arundo donax,  Eleusine indica (බැල තණ/වල්මල් කුරක්කන්/Goose Grass), Cenchrus ciliaris, Imperata cylindrica (ඉලුක්/Blady Grass/Spear Grass/Cogon Grass), Ischaemum timorense  Leersia hexandra (ලෙව්/Bareet Grass), Panicum maximum(ගිනි තණ/Guinea grass) Setaria barbata ] and paddy (Oryza sativa) of the family Poaceae. Its larva also fed on Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus) only when offered in the lab.