Plumbeous silverline (Spindasis schistacea)

Rare butterfly of the low country open areas while plentiful in the hills. Its early stages and food plants are not yet recorded.

මුහුදු බිම් තඹර[Muhudu-bin-tambara]/Goat’s foot glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae)

An indigenous trailing vine, very common in the coastal beaches and sand dunes.  Flowering throughout the year. Both the roots and leaves are used as medicine in India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Its common English name is due to two lobed leaves resembling the goat’s foot. 

Pale-faced Forest-Skimmer (Cratilla lineata calverti)

Pale-faced Forest-Skimmer was described by Fraser as a very common insect on the West Coast of India, but records here in Sri Lanka are only from Kandy (deFonseka T. 2000). However it is a rare forest dwelling dragonfly not only in Kandy but several other forested areas. It breeds in marshes in heavy jungles. (bedjanic, M et al 2007)

Striped Albatross ( Appias libythea libythea)

Rather rare butterfly of dry low lands but found in all elevations during migratory season from November to December. W. Ormiston stated that it is abundant in the Hambantota district in March and May and in the Mannar in July, November and January. (Ormiston W. 1924). Males often mud puddles on wet places to absorb minerals.  Its larva feeds on leaves of Cadaba fruticosa, Capparis grandis, Capparis roxburghii and Crateva adansonii (ලුණුවරණ) of the family Capparidaceae  and Cleome aspera of the family Cleomaceae

Yellow Wagtail/කහ හැලපෙන්දා[Kaha Halapendha] (Motacilla flava thunbergi)

Winter migrant to the island where it can be occurred as several races while Grey-headed wagtail (M.f. thunbergi) is the commonest of them which can be seen throughout the country in grasslands and marshes.  There are few other races (M.f. bema [Syke’sYellow wagtail], M.f lutea [Yellow-headed Wagtail], M.f. melanogrisea [Black-headed Yellow wagtail], M.f. simillima [Siberian Yellow Wagtail], M.f. feldegg) those are rare to very rare migrants and vagrants to the dry lowlands. During its stay in Sri Lanka Grey-headed wagtail  feeds as scattered flocks on grasslands, dry tank beds, paddy fields, etc often accompanying with cattle.  It roosts communally in reed-bed or swamp scrub during the night. Grey-headed wagtail  breeds from North-eastern Europe to North-western Siberia. 

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Indigo Flash (Rapala varuna lazulina)

Rare butterfly found in lowlands up to about 500m a.s.l . Its larva feeds on flowers, buds and shoot of  Ziziphus oenopolia (හීන් එරමිණියා). Larva also fed on  Ziziphus mauritiana (දෙබර/මහ දෙබර/මසන්/Indian jujube/Chinese apple) when offered in the lab.

Plain prinia (Prinia inornata insularis)

A resident bird locally common in paddy fields, scrub and marsh lands from lowland to lower hills while commoner in the dry zone. Its food mainly consists of insects and spends its time mostly on hopping actively among grass stems solitarily or as pairs in search of them. It breeds probably throughout the year and nest a deep cup of grasses place in grass-tussock or low bush often few feets above the ground (or water since usually it is situated in a swamp). 

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Common Bushbrown (Mycalesis perseus)

Common butterfly distributed throughout the island while abundant in the hills and scarce in the north. Larva feeds on Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus) , Eleusine indica (බැල තණ/වල්මල් කුරක්කන්/Goose Grass),  Leersia hexandra (ලෙව්/Bareet Grass) and Oryza sativa (වී/Paddy) of the family Poaceae. Common Bush brown can be easily distinguished from the similar Dark-brand Bushbrown by four lower ocelli of hind wing. Four ocelli lie in a curved line of this species while those are in straight line of the Dark-brand Bushbrown.

දෙමට/ගැට දෙමට[Demata/Gatta demata]/Asiatic bushbeech (Gmelina asiatica)

An indigenous shrub common in low country dry zone. Its fruits edible and roots and leaves are used as remedies for varies illnesses.  Flowers appears from March to September. 

Plum Judy (Abisara echerius prunosa)

Locally common butterfly of low country jungles up to about 1200m a.s.l. It usually settles on a leaf few feets above from the ground during the day time and become active during the evening. It has a quick jercky flight which resembles the butterflies of family Hesperiidae. Its larval food plants are Ardisia gardneri, Ardisia elliptica (බලු දං), Embelia ribes and Embelia tsjeriam-cottam of the family Myrsinaceae.

ඇටිකුකුලා[Ati Kukula]/Greater Coucal/Southern Coucal /Common Coucal (Centropus sinensis)

Common breeding resident of home gardens, cultivations, scrublands, forest edges of wet zone and dry forests throughout the island. It is a ground feeder and food consist of almost any animal which is small enough to tackle such as snails, lizards, insects, frogs, small snakes, eggs and nestlings of birds etc. It hunts solitarily or as pairs. It appear to be pair for life time and when feeding keep contacts with each other with call which sound like hoop oop oop .... Breeding season is from February to September and again from October to December. It lays two or three eggs in a domed nest concealed in deep cover in thorny bushes or crown of a palm.

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Tiny Grass Blue (Zizula hylax hylax)

Rather rare butterfly found in lowlands to about 1000m elevations. Larva feeds on various plants of family Acanthaceae  such as Hygrophila heinei , Phaulopsis dorsiflora, Ruellia patula, Ruellia prostrata (නිල් පුරුක්), Ruellia tuberosa (නිල් පුරුක්/Wayside tuberose/Minnieroot), Strobilanthes cordifolia (බූ නෙළු) and Hygrophila auriculata (ක‍ටු ඉකිරි/නීරමුල්ලිය) Sometimes larvae are attended by ants.

කීර තන්ඩු පිල්ලු[Keera-thandu-pillu]/Thickhead (Crassocephalum crepidioides)

 Widespread introduced weed of roadsides, waste lands and scrub-lands throughout the island. It is a native plant of tropical Africa. 

Common Leopard (Phalanta phalantha)

Common butterfly occurs in open areas close to the jungles, and scrub lands from sea level to about 6000ft a.s.l. Common leopard is a migratory species and sometime it swarms on wet patches on the roads in the low country dry zone. Larva feeds on Dovyalis hebecarpa (Ceylon gooseberry/කැට ඇඹිල්ල), Flacourtia indica (උගුරැස්ස),  Hydnocarpus venenata, Flacourtia jangomas (රට උගුරැස්ස), Scolopia acuminata, Flacourtia inermis (Livi-lovi) and Scolopia pusilla (කටු කෑර/කටු කුරුඳු/කටු කෙන්ද)

Zitting Cisticola/Fantail warbler/Streaked Fantail warbler/Hambu kurulla[S] (Cisticola juncidis)

Common resident bird in tall grasslands, marsh lands, tank edges and paddy fields throughout the island from sea coast to higher hills like Horton plains national park. It feeds manly on insects like grasshoppers. Breeding season last from March to April and July to September. It build  a nest a cylindrical pocket with a small circular opening at the top well hidden among middle of a tussock of grass and lays three or four pinkish white eggs.

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Metallic Cerulean (Jamides alecto meilichius)

Common in all elevations of the island in all the year round. But rare in the North. It is considered as a pest of Cardamom plantations since its larva feeds on fruits and flowers of Cardamom or එනසාල් (Elettaria cardamomum) of the family Zingiberaceae. Meistera benthamiana, Zingiber officinale (ඉඟුරු/Ginger), Alpinia calcarata (කලා කීරිය/කටු කීරිය/Indian Ginger/Snap-Ginger), Alpinia galanga, Alpinia purpurata (Red ginger), Alpinia zerumbet, Meistera fulviceps, Meistera trichostachya, Hedychium flavescens (Yellow Ginger Lily), Zingiber cylindricum, Zingiber wightianum and Zingiber zerumbet (වල් - ඉඟුරු/Wild Ginger) of the same Zingiberaceae.family are also identified so far as its larval host plants in Sri Lanka.

Hibiscus lobatus

An indigenous herb common along roadsides and waste lands of the low country. 

Glassy Tiger(Parantica aglea)

Common at all elevations of the southern part of the country in all the year round while much plentiful during Northeast monsoon period. Scarce in the northern parts of the island. According to the D’Abrera it  is a slow and low flying insect not rising more than 5 or 6 feet above the ground usually, and then only when the temperature is not too hot (The Butterflies of Ceylon - D'abrera 1998) Larva feeds on Ceropegia candelabrum, Heterostemma tanjorensis, Vincetoxicum indicum, Vincetoxicum flexuosum, Vincetoxicum iphisia and Vincetoxicum bracteatum.

 

Kalukichcha/Indian Robin/Black-backed Robin (Saxicoloides fulicatus)

Common breeding resident of drier open areas of the dry zone while rare and local in the wet zone up to mid hills. It prefers gardens, cultivation and scrub lands and avoids heavy forest areas. Indian Robin lives as pairs and feeds actively on ground in searching insects.  The breeding season is from March to September and it builds its nest in a hole of a bank, tree-trunk or sometime in a cavity in a building where it lays 2-3 eggs. 

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Common Gull (Cepora nerissa evagete)

Common in low country drier parts throughout the year but can be seen all over the island including higher hills during the migration period. Sometimes it may be seen settled in hundreds on mud or wet sand to absorb minerals.  Its larva feeds on varies Capparis species such as Capparis zeylanica, Capparis sepiaria, Capparis tenera, Capparis brevispina, Capparis grandis, Capparis moonii, Capparis roxburghii, and Crateva adansonii (ලුණුවරණ ) of the family Capparaceae 

Shower-of-gold vine (Tristellateia australasiae)

Native woody climber of South- East Asia and Australia. Introduced and cultivated in Sri Lankan home gardens as an ornamental plant. 

Great Black-headed Gull/Pallas’s Gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus)

 Common winter migrant to the lagoons, sand spits and tidal flats of Northern and North-western coastal areas.  Its food mainly consists of fish but also feeds on any small animal it can catch and also carrion. Though usually encounters as solitary birds during November to April period, sometimes large flocks of several hundreds resting on sand-spits or tidal flats can be observed. It breeds in Russia and Central Asia.

Pea Blue (Lampides boeticus)

Common butterfly in all over the island in all the year round. It is a migratory species and it varies greatly in size, dwarf forms being very common. This butterfly lays its eggs at the base of the flowers of certain plants of family Fabaceae and when the larva hatches it burrows into the flower and so into the pod, on the seeds of which it feeds until it reaches its next stage of the life cycle. It is considered as a pest due to larva feeding on some cash crops such as peas and beans. Crotalaria albida, Crotalaria beddomeana, Cajanus trinervius (ඇත් තෝර), Crotalaria incana, Crotalaria laburnifolia (යක්බේරිය/Rattle-box/Bird flower), Crotalaria micans (Caracas rattle box), Crotalaria pallida (Smooth rattle box), Crotalaria verrucosa (නිල් අඬණහිරිය/යක්බේරිය/Blue rattlesnake), Crotalaria trichotoma (West Indian rattlebox/Zanzibar rattlepod/Cusara pea), Mundulea sericea, Ulex europaeus (Gorse/Furze/Whin),  Cajanus cajan (රට තෝර/Dhal/Pigeon Pea/Chick Pea/Red Gram), Vigna radiata (මුං/මුං ඇට/බූ මෑ/Green gram/Jerusalem pea/Mung bean),  Vigna unguiculata (මෑ කරල්/ ලී මෑ/වඳුරු මෑ/Black-eye Bean/Cowpea),  Vigna mungo (බූ මෑ/මුං/උළුඳු/Black gram) and Pisum sativum are identified as its larval host plants in Sri Lanka.

දිය නිඳිකුම්ඹා[Diya-Nidikumba]/Water mimosa/Sensitive neptunia (Neptunia oleracea)

An aquatic herb with floating stems and sensitive leaves, found in tanks and ponds in the dry zone lowlands. Young ends of stems and pods are edible and sometimes eaten as a vegetable. Juice of the stem and roots are used for medicinal purposes.

Dancing Dropwing(Trithemis pallidinervis)

An uncommon dragonfly found in tanks, ponds and marshy areas of dry and wet zone lowlands.

ගැට තුඹ[Geta-tumba] (Leucas zeylanica)

Very common indigenous herb found along roadsides and waste lands of both low country wet and dry zones up to about 1700m elevation. Flowering throughout the year. Leaves edible and eaten as a vegetable. Leaf size variable.

Hill Swallow/කඳු වැහිළිහිණියා/හෙල් වැහිළිහිණියා[Kandu Wehilihiniya/Hel Wehilihiniya] (Hirundo domicola)

Hill swallow is a common breeding resident found in grass lands, plantations and open areas in villages and towns of the hill country while occasional visitor to the foot hills of the wet zone. Its food consist of small flying insects capturing on the wing, usually as small flocks of its own members or others of the family like red-rumped swallow, Barnswallow.etc.The breeding season is from February to May and again in September. It lays 2 or 3 eggs in a mud and straw cup nest, lined with feathers and bracketed on a wall, road-bank or earth-slip. 

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Pink-headed Knotweed (Persicaria capitata)

An indigenous creeping herb.  Flowering throughout the year and growing on the ground, rock surfaces and over walls in the montane areas. 

Banded Blue Pierrot (Discolampa ethion ethion)

Rather rare butterfly found in low country wet zone up to about 1500m a.s.l. elevation. It prefers wooded areas and often settles on a twig or leaf overhanging a jungle path and male a ‘mud-puddler’ settles in wet patches in jungle paths sometime in swarms. Its larva feeds on  Ziziphus oenopolia (හීන් එරමිණියා) and Ziziphus mauritiana (දෙබර/මහ දෙබර/මසන්/Indian jujube/Chinese apple)  of  the family Rhamnaceae .

මොණර මල්[Monara-Mal]/Peacock flower/Paradise flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

Monara-Mal is a small tree, native to tropical America, which was introduced to Sri Lanka at an early time as an ornamental plant. Very common in home gardens and sometimes escaped and naturalized plants can be seen along roadsides and scrub lands

Marsh Skimmer (Orthetrum luzonicum)

Common in marshes and swampy areas from lowlands to the central hills while widely distributed in montane and submontane areas. 

Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea)

Common breeding resident in forests and adjoining well wooded home gardens of lowlands and hills up to 1700m a.s.l., while more frequent in the wet zone and riverine habitats of the dry zone. It feeds on flying insects in usual flycatcher habits and constantly travels about in the canopy solitary or in pairs. The breeding season is from March to May and, the nest a small deep cup placed in a fork of small sapling few feet from the ground to higher levels of the canopy. 

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Ceylon Lace Wing/Tamil Lace Wing (Cethosia nietner nietner)

Rather uncommon butterfly occurred all over the island throughout the year, while relatively abundant in mid country jungles. Its larva feeds on Adenia hondala [හොඬල/පොතු හොඬල] plants of family Passifloraceae. 

Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)

Common Iora is a very common breeding resident distributed mainly in gardens, scrublands, and forest edges of low country and lower hills up to 1000m a.s.l. But it is much common in dry zone. Iora lives in pairs and feeds on insects, especially on caterpillars among leaves of trees. While feeding it keeps in touch with each others by frequently calling in variety of whistling sounds. Breeding season is mainly from April to June and the nest a little cup made out of fibers and cobwebs fastened to a twig of a tree where it lays 2 or 3 eggs.

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ලීනිය[Liniya]/Screw tree (Helicteres isora)

Liniya is rather common indigenous shrub or small tree found in scrub lands, secondary forest edges, roadsides, beach edges and also of primary forests of dry and intermediate zones of the island from sea level to about 225 m a.s.l. Timber use to manufacture oars and bark provides a strong fiber. Fruits and seeds are used by traditional medical practitioners to treat colic and ear ulcers respectively. 

White Four-Ring (Ypthima ceylonica)

White Four-Ring is a common butterfly found in all elevations of the island in all the year round, while less common in higher hills. Its larva feeds on පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus) and Cyrtococcum trigonum of the family Poaceae

ඕලු[Olu]/Water Lilly (Nymphaea pubescens)

Olu is a very common indigenous aquatic herb of ponds and tanks, particularly in the dry lowlands. Flowering throughout the year and color of the flowers vary from nearly white to red. The seeds are edible and also use in traditional medicine. 

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis ceylonicus)

Little Green Bee-eater is a very common breeding resident of open areas, cultivations and open spaces of forests in dry lowlands.  Sometime perching birds on wires are not uncommon in suburban areas and it is occasional visitor to wet zone too.  It usually encounters as pairs and communal roosting during the night are observed in bushy trees. Like all other bee-eaters its main food consists of varies type of flying insects like beetles, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, etc. and it darts out to feed on them from its favorite perching wires or branches of a tree and often return to same place to swallow its catch. Little green Bee-eater breeds during April to August and lays 3-5 white color eggs in a nesting burrow which it dug into the side of a bank. 

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නිල් මානෙල්[Nil Manel]/Common water Lilly(Nymphaea nouchali)

An indigenous aquatic herb with floating leaves common in ponds and tanks of lowlands, particularly in dry zone and often cultivated in other areas. Flowering all the year round and flowers used for worshipping in Buddhist temples. 

Blue Tiger(Tirumala limniace leopardus)

Very common butterfly found in open scrub lands throughout the island though very common in lowlands below 1000ft a.s.l . Larva feeds on leaves of Dragia volubilis (අගුණ). It takes part in migration.  

නෙලුම්[Nelum]/Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)

An aquatic indigenous herb common in ponds and tanks, particularly in dry zone. Seeds and rhizomes are edible and flowers use as temple offering. Color of the flowers vary from white to pink. Flowering throughout the year. 

Eurasian Thick-knee/ගොළු කිරළා[Golu Kirala] (Burhinus oedicnemus)

Eurasian Thick-knee is a breeding resident of mainly coastal dry zone areas, though occasionally found in wet zone coastal areas as well. It lives in pairs or as small flocks, spending day time squatting on ground in the shade of small bush and as dusk descends it become active. It is mainly a crepuscular and nocturnal bird feeds on ground insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, termites, etc. and such small animals. Breeding season is from June to August and nest, a shallow scrape on the ground where it lays two eggs, well camouflaged with the ground by color and difficult to locate. 

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Indian Red Admiral (Vanessa indica nubicola)

Rather uncommon butterfly of the hill country, which seldom found below 900m a.s.l. However at certain times of the year it is very common in higher hilly areas like Horton plains, Hakgala, Nuwaraeliya, Haputhale,Pattipola etc. Its larva feeds on Girardinia diversifolia (ගස් කහඹිලියා/Giant nettle) and it ties the leaves into a ball about the size of an orange and pupae can be found inside this ball (Ormiston W. 1924) . Urtica urens is one of its another larval food plant which is an introduced herb, now naturalized in the home gardens and cultivated lands in the higher elevations.

Desert rose (Adenium obesum )

Native to eastern Africa and Northern Arabian countries (Kenya, Uganda, Arabia and Mozambique). Cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical countries. Flowering mainly after the dry period and it is very resistance to the dry climate. Sometimes referred as “Pride of Japan” though it is not a native shrub of Japan (Kottegoda S.R.1994).

Indian Sunbeam (Curetis thetis)

Indian Sunbeam is an uncommon butterfly with rather unusual male-female distribution pattern in Sri Lanka. W. Ormistom wrote in last century that “the male is very plentiful in Wellawaya, and is almost always found settled on wet roads and in river-beds. The female is scarce there. At Anuradhapura I have found the male scarce, but the female common.” (Ormiston W.,  1924). Base on museum specimens de’Abrera also confirmed this by stating “male is more visible south of the central mountain range, whilst the female is more visible in the northern low country dry zone.” (de’Abrera B., 1998)  Female in above picture was photographed at Anavilundawa sanctuary of North-Western province and male which is not shown here has dissimilar bright copper red recto. Its larva feeds on Derris parviflora,  Entada rheedei (පුස් වැල්), Indigofera tinctoria, Pericopsis mooniana, Pongamia pinnata(මගුල් කරඳ), Pterocarpus indicus,  Lepisanthes tetraphylla (දාඹු), Abrus precatorius (ඔළිඳ/Crab's Eyes/Indian Liquorice),Derris scandens (කල වැල්) and Canavalia rosea.