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.
