11 new butterfly species spotted at Parambikulam

Kochi: A survey — jointly organized by forests and wildlife department and Wayanad-based Ferns naturalist society — found

11 new species

of butterflies at

Parambikulam

tiger reserve.

The team, which took part in the fourth

butterfly survey

from November 9 to 12, were in for a surprise as they could spot 221 species this year. With this, Parambikulam has become the protected forest with maximum butterfly species in Kerala.

The team covered Anappadi, Parambikulam, Kuriyarkutty and Nelliyampathy areas of the reserve. Seventeen camps were arranged for the team of 60 persons, who were ably assisted by 50 forest department employees. The survey team covered all kinds of forests, including evergreen forests, deciduous forests, thorny scrub jungles and grasslands.

Vishnu Vijayan of Parambikulam Tiger Foundation, N S Sujin, Yadhu Aralam and Muneer Tholpetty of Ferns coordinated the survey. Butterfly experts Subash Pulikkal and Sajeesh Joy took part in the survey. The team included representatives of Malabar Natural History Society and Travancore Natural History Society, students from various universities and butterfly enthusiasts.

Red-disc Bushbrown (Theekkannan), Silverstreak Blue (Rajathaneeli), Orange-tail Awl (Suvarna Aara) and Small Palm Bob (Kunjikurumban) were the significant species spotted during the survey. Unlike other species that are active in sunlight, Orange-tail Awl is active at dawn and dusk.

The sighting of Red-disc Bushbrown, a high-altitude species endemic to Western Ghats, was reported at an altitude of 1,320m in Nelliyampathy region. “This species can’t be found further north of Western Ghats,” said butterfly expert V K Chandrasekharan.

The survey also recorded the migration patterns of Dark Blue Tiger (Neelakaduva) and Common Crow (Aaralishalabham). The team witnessed thousands of butterflies together in trees from various regions. “Budha Peacock (Budha Mayoori), which was on Tuesday named the state butterfly of Kerala, was seen in abundance in some areas of the reserve,” said another expert Sajith Kumar.

Also, hundred species of butterfly host plants were recorded in the survey. Students of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookode, who took part in the survey, said the exercise was a unique learning experience.

The annual exercise is conducted after southwest monsoon in the October-November period. Butterfly survey at Parambikulam began in 2015 and 260 species have been identified till date.