209 BUTTERFLY SPECIES SIGHTED AT SURVEY IN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
A four-day butterfly survey organised by
the Forest and Wildlife Department in association with Kerala State
Biodiversity Board (KSBB) and Ferns Naturalists Society in the Wayanad Wildlife
Sanctuary (WWS) and South Wayanad Forest Division has sighted 209 species,
including many rare ones.
The survey recoded 162 species of
butterflies such as Swallow tails, White and yellows, Brush footed butterflies,
Riodinidae, Blues, and Skippers in the WWS. In the South Wayanad Forest
Division, 174 species were recorded. The survey was mainly aimed at assessing
the butterfly diversity in the forest areas, a region vulnerable to climatic
change. It was also aimed at assessing the availability of nectar plant and
larval host plant, essential for the survival of butterflies.Muhammed Jaffer
Palot, Kailash Sadasivam, Balakrishnan Valappil, Saji, Chandrasekharan
Koyilandi, V.C. Balakrishnan, and Pavendan Appavu, all researchers, as well as
130 butterfly enthusiasts, including students, took part in the survey.
21 base
camps
Twenty-one base camps were set up for
survey. The sighting of 209 species is an evidence of a healthy butterfly
habitat in the region. But climate change and degradation of riparian forest
may have impacted the butterfly population in the region, P.A.Vinayan, who
coordinated the survey, said.The rare
butterflies sighted during the survey includes Red eye bush brown, Broadtail
royal, Yellow jack sailor, Nilgiri fritilary, Common onyx, Orchid tit, Indian
Red-flash, and Malabar flash. Wildlife Warden P. Dhaneshkumar supervised the
survey.
Prof. John Kurakar
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