Mrs. Nilani Vijitharan

1. Kanesharatnam N and Benjamin SP. 2016. Three new generic records and descriptions of four new species of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from Sri Lanka. European Journal of Taxonomy 228: 1–23.
2. Benjamin SP and Kanesharatnam N. 2016. Description of three new species of the tropical Asian jumping spider genus Onomastus Simon, 1900 from high altitude cloud forests of Sri Lanka (Araneae: Salticidae). Zootaxa 4205: 431–453.
3. Kanesharatnam N. and Benjamin SP. 2018. A new genus and three new species of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from Sri Lanka. European Journal of Taxonomy 444: 1–24.
4. Kanesharatnam N, Benjamin SP (2019) Multilocus genetic and morphological phylogenetic analysis reveals a radiation of shiny South Asian jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae). ZooKeys 839: 1–81. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.839.28312
5. Wayne P Maddison, Imara Beattie, Kiran Marathe, Paul YC Ng, Nilani Kanesharatnam, Suresh P Benjamin, Krushnamegh Kunte. A phylogenetic and taxonomic review of baviine jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae, Baviini). (2020). Zookeys. 2020 Dec 16; 1004:27-97. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1004.57526. PMID: 33384565; PMCID: PMC7758311.
6. Nilani Kanesharatnam & Suresh P. Benjamin (2020) Phylogenetic relationships and systematics of the jumping spider genus Colopsus with the description of eight new species from Sri Lanka (Araneae: Salticidae), Journal of Natural History, 54:43-44, 2763-2814, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1869335
7. Nilani Kanesharatnam & Suresh P. Benjamin (2020) First record of Synagelides Strand, 1906 (Araneae: Salticidae) from Sri Lanka: description of four endemic species from tropical wet forest of the island. Zootaxa 4790 (1): 043–056. 
8. Nilani Kanesharatnam. (2023). A Rapid Survey on the Mangrove Jumping Spider fauna of Mandaitivu Island, Northern Sri Lanka. IJSRP. 13 (6): 259-261.
9. Nilani Kanesharatnam & Suresh P. Benjamin (2020). On three new species of jumping spiders of the genera Habrocestum Simon, 1876, Stenaelurillus Simon, 1886 and Tamigalesus Żabka, 1988 (Araneae, Salticidae) from Sri Lanka. Evolutionary Systematics. 4(1): 5-19. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.4.47578
10. Vinobaba M, Kanesharatnam N and Thamilvannan, N (2020). A case study on the outbreak of paederus dermatitis caused by rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in women´s hostels of eastern university, Sri Lanka. Journal of Science, 11(1), pp.1–10. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/jsc.v11i1.23
11. Nilani K, Eswaramohan T and Mahadhevan P. (2013). Status of AI performance and problems related to low conception rate in cow breeding in Jaffna Peninsula. International Journal of Current Science 8: 97–105. 
12. Nilani K, Eswaramohan T and Mahadhevan P. (2012). Evaluation of semen quality brought from Kundasale as replacement of locally produced semen for artificial insemination in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. Vingnanam Journal of  Science 11(1): 19–25
13. Nilani K, Eswaramohan T and Balasubramaniam K. (2012). Fractionation of X and Y chromosome- Bearing Bovine Spermatozoa through Sugar Gradients for Sex Predetermination in Dairy Cattle. International Journal of Bioscience, Biochemistry and Bioinformatics 2(3): 203–206.
14. Nilani K, Eswaramohan T and Balasubramaniam K. (2012). Influence of temperature on motility and viability of bovine spermatozoa during cold storage, International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications 2(3): 1–5.
15. Sureka P, Nilani K, Eswaramohan T and Balasubramaniam K. (2013). Sex preselection by Quantification of Y- Chromosome Bearing Spermatozoa in goat species, International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications 3(1): 1–4. 

Conference full paper

1.  Nilani K, Eswaramohan T and Balasubramaniam K. (2012). A preliminary study for sperm sexing by using sucrose density gradients in Jersey bull at Artificial Insemination Centre at Thirunelvely (Northern Province of Sri Lanka), International proceeding of Chemical, Biological and  Environmental Engineering 31: 37–40.

 Short Communication

1. Eswaramohan T, Nilani K, Sureka P, Mahadhevan P and Balasubramaniam K. (2014). A study on the effects of chilling period on sperm quality of Sannan and Jamunapari Goats. Iranian Journal of Applied Animal Science. 3(4): 205–207.

 Abstracts

1. D.M.N.P. Karunarathna , N. W. B. A. L. Udayanga, G.A.S.M Ganehiarachchi, W.K.W.S.Kumarawansha , M. Vinobaba  , N. Kanesharatnam and R. M. T. B. Ranathunge. (2023). Domestic Dogs as Reservoir Hosts for Leishmania donovani: A Case from the Polonnaruwa District, Sri Lanka. Proceedings of Annual Research Session, Faculty of Science- 2023.
2. Abira Satkunanthan, Nilani Kanesharatnam, Suresh P Benjamin (2020). A preliminary phylogeny and morphological analysis of Genus Epidelaxia (Araneae: Salticidae) in Sri Lanka. Conference: Proceedings of Postgraduate Institute of Science Research Congress 2020 At: virtual conference.
3. Dilini Bopearachchi, Nilani Kanesharatnam, Namal Athukorala, Suresh P Benjamin. A preliminary phylogeny of Ballini jumping spiders in Sri Lanka (Araneae: Salticidae). (2019) Postgraduate Institute of Science Research Congress, Sri Lanka - 2019At: University of Peradeniya.
4. Kanesharatnam N, Athukorala N and Benjamin SP. (2017). Molecular and morphological data reveals a cryptic radiation of shiny South Asian Jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). 30th European Congress of Arachnology, University of Nottingham, UK, 20th-25th August, p 55.
5. N. Kanesharatnam, N. Athukorala and SP. Benjamin. (2017). A preliminary study on molecular diversity of Chrysillines (Araneae: Salticidae) in Sri Lanka. Proceeding of Postgraduate Institute of Science Research Congress (RESCON), 8th and 9th, September, p 71.
6. Nilani K and Gnaneswaran R. (2014). A preliminary study on spider fauna associated with a mangrove ecosystem in Mandaitivu, Northern Sri Lanka. Proceeding of 1 st Ruhuna International Science and Technology Conference (RISTCON).University of Ruhuna, Matara. January 22-23, p 61.
7. Nilani K, Eswaramohan T and Balasubramaniam K. (2012). Assessment of bull semen during storage conditions at AI center, Thirunelvely. Proceeding of Jaffna Science Association, University of Jaffna, p 12.
8. Sureka P, Nilani K, Eswaramohan T, Mahadhevan P, Balasubramaniam K, and Kuganeswaran T. (2012). Separation of ‘Y’ chromosome bearing sperm of Sannan through density gradient method. Proceeding of Technological Advances in Science, Medicine and Engineering. University of Toronto, Canada, p 18.
9. Sureka P, Nilani K, Eswaramohan T, Mahadhevan P, Balasubramaniam K. (2012). Effects of refrigeration (at 4-8 ˚C) on semen quality of goat varieties (Sannan and Jamunapari) during storage conditions at the artificial insemination center, Thirunelvely. Proceeding of Annual Science Research Session, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, p 42.

Thesis Publication as a Printed Book

1. Nilani K, Eswaramohan T and Balasubramaniam K. Sperm sexing technique using sucrose density gradient in bulls. LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing. Saarbrücken, Germany. ISBN: 978-3-659-40 190-9.

1. Molecular Systematics
2. Molecular diversity
3. Biotechnology

Research Titles

• DNA extraction, PCR amplification and purification, gel electrophoresis, sequence alignment and editing, phylogenetic analysis, character matrix preparation and familiar with several soft wares including Mesquite (version 2.72), TNT 1.1, Winclada (version 1.00.08), RAxML–VI–HPC, Partitionfinder software (2.1.0), BEAUti & BEAST 1.8.4, Geneious 6.1.5 and GBlocks v. 0.91b. 

1. Molecular genetics
2. Biotechnology
3. Insect taxonomy and biology
4. Animal behaviour
5. Applied entomology
6. Developmental biology

1. Sir Sangarapillai Pararajasingam award for the Best Performance in Zoology at the Special Degree examination.
2. Awarded with Full NSF travel grant for presenting on European Congress of Arachnology, University of Nottingham, UK.

1. Student counsellor with effect from February 2020 to 2022
2. Part time Academic sub-warden from 2019 to 2021