1.General Name

Red cotton stainer

2.Scientific Name

Dysdercus cingulatus

3. Not Endemic to Sri Lanka.

Found in Nepal, Sri Lanka, northeastern and southern (Coorg) India, Bangladesh, Thailand, the Philippines, Sumatra, Borneo, Papua New Guinea and northern Australia.

4.Common habitats

D. cingulatus feeds on a number of other crop plants including okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), muskmallow (Abelmoschus moschatus), hibiscus, white jute (Corchorus capsularis), citrus and maize (Zea mays). It also attacks trees including silk cotton tree (Bombax ceiba), kapok (Ceiba pentandra), teak (Tectona grandis) and the portia tree (Thespesia populnea).

5.Food pattern

Like other true bugs, Dysdercus cingulatus sucks fluids from its host plants. The only part of the cotton plant affected by this pest is the flower and the seed capsule or boll. As this develops, the insect thrusts its rostrum between the carpels and sucks fluids from the still soft seeds inside.

Micro-organisms are admitted in the process and may make the boll contents rot or the lint become discoloured.

While away from their hosts, they feed on nectar and fruit of non-host plants, and can survive for several days without food. They seem fond of citrus fruits, but this may merely be because there are often citrus plantations in close proximity to cotton fields.

6.Any other special information

It is a serious pest of cotton crops, the adults and older nymphs feeding on the emerging bolls and the cotton seeds as they mature, transmitting cotton-staining fungi as they do so.

Written by,

Hasith Jayasanka

Batch 2016/17

1.General Name

Red Pierrot

රතු කෝනංගියා

2.Scientific Name

Talicada nyseus nyseus

3. Not Endemic to Sri Lanka.

Found in Indian sub continent

4.Common habitats

They are found in semi-arid plains, degraded patches of evergreen patches, and semi-evergreen forest, gardens, hill stations and forests.

It is also found from the plains up to 8,000 feet.

5.Food pattern

It visits flowers of herbs, especially of the families Amaranthaceae and Acanthaceae, for nectar.

It visits both ornamental and wild flowers and varieties of Alternanthera are among its favourites.

6.Any other special information

The caterpillar is pale yellow to a dirty white, and flattened with large, jet black spiracles. The entire body is covered with tiny white setae or bristle-like hair.

Written by :

Anjana Senevirathne

Batch 2015/16

1.General Name

Medus Brown

2.Scientific Name

Orsotriaena medus

3. Not Endemic to Sri Lanka.

Not endemic to Sri Lanka

Live in many asian countries

4.Common habitats

Very common in grasslands

5. Feeding patterns

Fee on Nectar

6.Any other special information

Dark brown with thin marginal pale border. There are no eye spots on upper side of the wings

Written by;

A.G. Dilrukshi

Batch 2016/17

1)General name

Green forest lizard

පළා කටුස්සා

2)Scientific name

Calotes clothes

3)Not endemic to Sri Lanka Commonly found in India and Sri Lanka

4)Habitat

Rosts on green foliage bearing trees in gardens and forests. Often in the tea plantations

5)Foods

Diet is made up of insects and other small invertebrates

6)Other features

The lizard has usually with 5 or 6 white,cream or dark green transverse stripes. The male develops a bright red head and throat in the breeding season

Written by ;

Ashini Shashikala

Batch 2016/17

1.General Name

Little Green Bee Eater

2.Scientific Name

Merops orientalis

3. Endemic to Sri Lanka

It can be seen mostly in dry zone of Sri Lanka such as Udawalawa and Yala National Parks

4.Common habitats

It is a bird which breeds in open country with bushes.

This species often hunts from low perches, may be only a meter or lees high.

The are resident in the lowlands of South Asia, moving away to dry regions in the rainy season and to warmer regions in winter.

5. Feeding patterns

Predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and ants.

Before swallowing prey, it removes stings and breaks the exoskeleton of the prey

Written by;

De mel Zeeba

Batch 2016/17

1.General Name

White rumped Munia

නිතඹ සුදු වී කුරුල්ලා

2.Scientific Name

Lonchura striata

3. Not Endemic to Sri Lanka.

Distribution in Indian subcontinent to southern China to Taiwan

4.Common habitats

Open woodlands, grasslands and scrubs.

Well able to adapt to agricultural lands.

5.Food pattern

Mainly feed on seeds

Sometimes algae

6.Any other special information

Mainly move as groups

( Gregarious bird )

Written by ;

Anjana Senevirathne

Batch 2015/16

1.General Name

Loten's Sunbird

2.Scientific Name

Cinnyris lotenius

3. Endemic to Sri Lanka and penisular India

4.Common habitats

They are locally common i both forests, cultivation. They are also common in urban gardens of city areas

5. Feeding patterns

While foraging foe nectar they hover at flowers. The also feed on small insects and spiders

Written by ;

De mel Zeeba

Batch 2016/17

1.General Name

Purple faced Langur

2.Scientific Name

Trachypithecus vetulus

3.Endemic to Sri Lanka.

4.CommonHabitat

Found in closed canopy forests in SL’s mountains & Southwestern part of country &currently densly populated in lowland rainforest areas of country.

5.FoodPatterns

Folivorous , But feed on fruits,flowers & seeds.

6.Other Features

Long tailed arboreal species, tail is also furred with black & white mixed colours.Identified by a mostly brown appearance dark face with paler lower face. Found in scatterd groups.

Written by ;

Diani Udarika

Batch 2015/16

1)General name-

Six spotted zigzag ladybird

2)Scientific name-

Cheilomenes sexmaculata

3)Not endemic to Sri Lankan

This species has a wide distribution range within the Asian Tropics & Subtropical zones from India to Japan & parts of Australian region

4)Habitat-

Around the garden and bushes

5)Foods-

Aphids and other small insects

6)Others-

They are beneficial insects. Because they feed on aphids

Written by

Ashini Shashikala

Batch 2016/17