Editorial photo #9898482 Human Interest

Sinharaja Rainforest In Sri Lanka

Empty Cicada (Cicadoidea) shell on a tree at the Sinharaja Rain Forest in Kalawana, Sri Lanka, on April 12, 2023. Cicadidae, the true cicadas, are the largest family of cicadas, with more than 3,200 species worldwide. The oldest known definitive fossils are from the Paleocene; a nymph from Cretaceous Burmese amber has been attributed to the family but could also belong to the Tettigarctidae. Sinharaja is the country's last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of the trees are endemic, and many of them are considered rare. There is much endemic wildlife, especially birds, but the reserve is also home to over 50% of Sri Lanka's endemic species of mammals and butterflies, as well as many kinds of insects, reptiles, and rare amphibians. Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO. (Photo by Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto)