Sunday, November 30, 2014

The Commander (Moduza procris calidasa)



English: The Commander
Binomial Name: Moduza procris calidasa / Limenitis procris

Moduza procris is a common butterfly lives in forests of Sri Lanka. Most of the time this butterfly can be spotted near stones of stream beds inside forests. More abundant in low land wet zone. Apart from Sri Lanka it has been distributed across other Asian countries such as India. Sub species found in Sri Lanka is M. p. calidasa. Their host plants belongs to Rubiaceae family.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Aponogeton jacobsenii


Binomial Name: Aponogeton jacobsenii
Sinhala: කෙකටිය[Kekatiya]

A. jacobsenii is an endemic species of aquatic plant that grows in the highlands of Sri Lanka, where the elevation above sea level is greater than 1650 meters. It is common in the streams of Horton National Park.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Kelaart's dwarf toad (Adenomus kelaartii)


English: Kelaart's dwarf toad/Kellaarti's pygmy frog/Kelaart's toad
Binomial Name: Adenomus kelaartii/Bufo kelaartii/Adenomus badioflavus
Sinhala: කෙලාර්ට්ගේ කුරු ගෙම්බා[Kelaartge kuru gemba]

Kelaart's dwarf toad is an endemic species of frog lives in wet zone of Sri Lanka. It is semi arboreal and can be found in south-west of the island. Body is covered with tiny warts. It is considered as an endangered species in IUCN red list due to Habitat modification from deforestation, Logging related activities, Habitat fragmentation, Local pesticides, fertilizers and pollutants.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Ceylon Balsam (Impatiens repens)


English: Ceylon Balsam/Ceylon Jewelweed/Yellow Balsam
Binomial Name: Impatiens repens
Sinhala: ගල්දෙමට [Gal Demata]

Impatiens repens is a rare and endemic creeping herb grows in wet-zone rain forests of Sri Lanka. Grows well in shaded and moist places. Now this plant can be seen cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant. Parts of this plant are used in Sri Lankan traditional medicine for treating epilepsy.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Painted Waxtail (Ceriagrion cerinorubellum)


English: Painted Waxtail / bi-coloured damsel
Binomial Name: Ceriagrion cerinorubellum
Painted Waxtail is a widely distributed dragonfly found in countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. This dragonfly can be identified by bright brick red colored abdomen. In Sri Lanka it can be seen in low country wet zone close to water streams, lakes and paddy fields.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Sonerila silvatica


Binomial Name: Sonerila silvatica
Sonerila silvatica is an endemic shrub that grows in low-land wet zone forests of Sri Lanka. Belongs to Melastomataceae family. This plant can be identified easily by three petaled pink flowers, usually in the undergrowth of the forest.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Gan's Lanka Skink (Lankascincus gansi)


English: Gan's Lanka Skink
Binomial Name: Lankascincus gansi
Sinhala: Gansge lakhiraluwa / ගාන්ස්ගේ ලක්හීරළුවා
Lankascincus gansi is an endemic skink lives in wet climatic zones of Sri lanka. And it’s all members of the genus Lankascincus is endemic to Sri Lanka. It has been reported in elevation of 30-700m above the sea level. Can be seen in home gardens and forests. Lives under stones and leaf litter. They feed on insects.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)


English: Pheasant-tailed jacana
Binomial Name: Hydrophasianus chirurgus
Sinhala: සැවුල්-පෙඳ දියසෑනා/බළල් සේරා [Sawulpenda diyasena/Balal sera]
This bird lives in lowlands marshes and aquatic plant-covered tanks of Sri Lanka. Feet and claws of the bird have been adopted to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes. Its population has been distributed in many Asian countries including India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia. They feed on insects and other invertebrates living in floating vegetation or the water's surface.