If you have been around any wetland in the city or in its outskirts, you would have noticed a small, brown butterfly. It is called the African Marbled Skipper and it is commonly found only near the wetlands, rarely away from there. So butterfly enthusiasts from other places visit the wetlands to catch a glimpse of it.
Not just the African Marbled Skipper, the wetlands are host to a range of other kinds of butterflies too. A five-year study on butterflies of Coimbatore Wetlands by a team of Tamil Nadu Butterfly Society (TNBS) comprising Theivaprakasham Hari, Nishanth CV, Gopalakrishnan, Viswanathan, Ramanasaram Hari, and A. Pavendhan, puts the spotlight on conservation of wetlands. They say, “Wetlands are a last resort for a number of butterfly species. For example, the Common Three Ring is dependant on grass, its host plant. But, where are the grass lawns in the city? It’s all cleared up to pave way for buildings. It’s the greenery at the wetlands that provide a haven.”
Wetlands, the lifeline of Coimbatore
From Ukkulam (at Siruvani foothills) to Sulur Lake, there are more than 30 wetlands, fed by the Noyyal. The butterfly study was done on wetlands that supported farming activities in Singanallur, Ravuthur Road, Pallapalayam, Kannampalayam, Sulur, Achankulam & Kalapatti on the east and Vedapatti, Kolarampathy, Perur, Senkulam, Ukkadam, and Ukkulam on the west. A total of 93 species of butterflies were recorded. The total number of species in the Tamil Nadu Butterfly Checklist stands at 324. Singanallur with 64 species and Achankulam & Irugur with 60 species emerged as the hotspots.
Rare, surprise sightings
The Black-spotted Pierrot or the Little Tiger Pierrot, the latest entrant on the the check list was sighted at Singanallur Lake. “The butterfly is similar in appearance to another species, and the underwings and the upper wings are a key to identifying the species,” says Pavendhan who photographed a male butterfly with distinctive wing patterns. “We checked the records on the ‘ifoundbutterflies’ website and other online forums and learnt that there have been no recent records of this species in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala or Tamil Nadu. A subsequent sighting would help one to validate if the butterfly has extended its habitat or if it was only a chance sighting,” he says. Red Helen (seen in the foot hills and forest) and the Blue Mormon were the other surprise sightings.
Irugur or Ravuthur Road Bypass Lake, the new hotspot for butterflies
The Red Spot butterfly which is not common in the city surprised butterfly watchers. The lake spread over 60 acres is fed by the Noyyal Anicut channel. The excess water from here feeds the nearby Achankulam. The lake’s running bund of one km supports vegetation and there is farming activity in the vicinity. A total of 59 butterfly species were recorded at this lesser-known lake. Special sightings also include Guava Blue, Red Flash, Acacia Blue and Peacock Royal.
Joker and more
A pair of black wings interspersed with a row of yellow marks that resemble a joker’s grin got the butterfly its name - joker. It can be easily sighted at Singanallur, Achankulam and Ravuthur lake. The TNBS team sighted over 20 Common Silverline butterflies at Vedapatti. The Tailed Palm Fly is also seen around the wetlands that have coconut trees and palm trees (host plant of Palm fly) on their periphery. Other notable species include Sailers, Black Rajahs, Bush browns and Evening Browns.
Ukkulam reported the Cornelian and Royals, the not-so-rare butterflies but interesting nevertheless. Other species are the Striped Albatross, Gull and Pioneer, Salmon Arab, both small and large( it gets its name from its wings that are the colour of a salmon), and good numbers of Crimson-tips, Orange-tips (Small, Plain, Yellow, White and Great) from the Yellows and Whites family of butterflies called Pieridae.
The wetlands study highlights several important facets to butterfly conservation
Protect wetlands and their ecosystem. To do this de-silt and strengthen the bunds in a scientific way, improve the inlets and outlets, and clear encroachments.
Prevent unplanned clearing of plants and trees around wetlands as they are some of the only remaining host plants of several species of butterflies. Unscientific clearing of greenery around these areas can wipe out entire species.
The data of the five-year study is available in the public domain. It can help authorities. For example, the Ravuthur Lake has emerged as an important wetland that needs better attention.
Write to Tamil Nadu Butterfly Society to get a copy of the data. You can also visit the Tamil Nadu Butterfly Society on Facebook.
