Wish to enjoy the colours of nature? Be there at the Bio-diversity Park on the RCD Hospital premises in Chinna Waltair to enjoy the colonies of butterflies of various hues clinging on to a single plant or flying around.
Spotted only during this time of the year, Crimson Rose larvae of Aristolethia species can be on the leaves of various trees and plants of the park, and some of the butterflies with crimson and black colour combination provide a treat to the eyes.
Founder of the Dolphin Nature Conservation Society (DNCS) M. Rama Murthy, a zoology lecturer in BVK College, who set up the park with 2,500 species of plants, said that four major types of butterflies had been landing on the park premises for the past six years during this time of the year.
“Usual time of the arrival is December-January, but this time the colonies of butterflies arrived at the end of January and are still flying around the park,” he told The Hindu .
Prominent among the species include Plain Tiger, Glossy Tiger, Banded Tiger and Blue Tiger. Males come together sucking alkaloids from plants and flowers, while others resort to mud-puddling, a phenomenon mostly seen in butterflies and involves their aggregation on substrates like wet soil, dung and carrion to obtain nutrients (taking in sodium salts).
Other new attraction at the park is the datura suaveolens coming to blossom for the first time at the park and, according to Mr. Murthy, they were the largest majestic white flowers in its family. The plants were brought from Bangalore long ago, but did not flower so far.
So fertile is the land on the park due to natural cover of dry leaves that it had retained the moisture, and activity of micro organisms was clearly seen.
