197 species sighted during butterfly survey

KALPETTA, September 23, 2009


The Hindu The Blue oakleaf, a rare, endemic butterfly among the 197 species of butterflies sighted in the three day Butterfly survey conducted by the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department in Wayanad.

A survey of the butterflies in the district conducted by the Wildlife Department has reported sighting of 197 butterfly species. The three-day survey, which concluded on Monday, was conducted in association with the Hume centre for Ecology and wildlife biology, a wild life research organisation of the district. This was the first ever survey of butterflies of Wayanad, adopting a new scientific methodology.

The survey was conducted in 14 locations spread across the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary and the North Wayanad Forest division including Maragadha, Cheeradan Kolly, Rampur and Chethalayam under the Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary (WWLS), and Begur, Chandanathodu, Peria, Brahmagiris, Makkimala, Doddakulassi, Panoth and Makkiyad under the North Wayanad Forest Division.

As many as 56 researchers and students from three southern States took part in the survey. The team reported the sightings of 52 species of skippers, 34 species of blues, 17 species of swallow tails, 23 pierids, and, 66 species of Nymphalids, C.K. Vishnudas of the Hume centre said.

As many as 149 species of butterflies were sighted in North Wayanad division, and 141 species in Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary. “As many as 334 species of butterflies have been sighted in the Western Ghats and recording nearly 200 species in a three day survey is evidence of a healthy habitat of butterflies in the region, E. Kunchikrishnan environmentalist and Professor, Department of Zoology, University College, Thiruvananthapuram, told The Hindu.

Rare species of butterflies such as the Baronet was sighted at Rampur and Nallathanni in the sanctuary. Endemic Species such as the Shiva sunbeam, the Banded blue Piorrot, the Malabar raven and the Southern bird wing were sighted in many places. Other significant species were the Common caster, Grey Pancy, Blue tigers, Angled Piorret and water snow flat.

The results and feedback from the survey will be used for developing the host plant and nectar plants in the sanctuary, V.K. Sreevalsan, Wild Life Warden, Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary told The Hindu. We are also planning to set up a butterfly garden at Muthanga and Tholpetty under the sanctuary, he added. The survey results will also help us to develop a proper management plan for the habitat improvement of butterflies, he added.

The survey was lead by Prof. E. Kunhikrihnan, Dr.Kalesh, C.Susanth, Vinayan P.A, Daisy Caroline, Balakrishnan Valappil, Pavithran Vadakara and Ajayan, butterfly experts, in each base station. The three day survey was coordinated by J. Ratnakaran, Dr. Anil Zacharia and Vinayan P.A of the Hume centre.

The Common map, a rare, endemic butterfly among the 197 species of butterflies sighted in the three day survey conducted by the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and the North Wayanad Forest Division, in association with the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, a research organisation on wildlife in the district.

Story