Volunteers of the Tamil Nadu Butterfly Society, which was formed to document and research the 321 species of butterflies found in the State, spotted the relatively rare Orchid Tit ( Chliaria othona ) near Kallar earlier this week. Eight volunteers of the Society and two from Kerala were on a visit to the horticultural farm in Kallar along with two butterfly experts, when they spotted the rare Orchid Tit butterfly.
Sharan Venkatesh, a volunteer, said that another member, Santhosh, had already spotted the Orchid Tit near the Courtrallam Range, but there had been some confusion as to whether the butterfly had been seen within Tamil Nadu or Kerala. “The Orchid Tit is extremely rare in the South, and its existence here illustrates why these areas need to be protected,” said Mr. Sharan. The Orchid Tit is common in North India and rare in the South, and the larvae of the butterfly survive on wild orchids.
After spotting the Orchid Tit, the team members, who are from Rajapalayam and the Nilgiris, ventured to Lamb’s Rock in Coonoor. According to them, they spotted a Baby Five-Ring ( Ypthima philomela ) butterfly, which they claim is spotted in the Nilgris after many years.
However, an expert on butterflies in the Nilgiris, who wished anonymity, said that the butterfly that is spotted now could possibly be the more common Nilgiris Four-Ring butterfly.
The Tamil Nadu Butterfly Society hopes to document all 321 species of butterflies in the State. “Thus far, we have documented 290 of the 321 species said to be living here,” Mr. Sharan said.
The team spotted 103 varieties of butterflies over two days, including the Blackvein Sergeant ( Athyma ranga ), Black Prince ( Rohana parisatis ) and the Whitedisc Hedge Blue ( Cyaniris albidisca ).
