The district will soon have its first butterfly park following an initiative of the Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary.
Host plants, endemic to the sanctuary, have been planted at the park near the medicinal plant garden at Vellapara.
Idukki wildlife warden P.R. Suresh told The Hindu on Wednesday that this would be the second butterfly park under the sanctuary after the one at Thattekad bird sanctuary. The success of the park there was the inspiration for the second one at the Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary.
Though a serious butterfly survey has not been conducted in the sanctuary, some of the rare species of butterflies in the Western Ghats have been noticed in random surveys. The biodiversity of host plants is unique to the sanctuary and the butterfly park will host a wide variety of species.
Studies on the host plants in the sanctuary have acted as a catalyst for launching the butterfly park.
“The butterfly park has been a success at Thattekad and the idea of launching a similar one in the sanctuary is a long-cherished one,” Mr. Suresh said.
Common plants
Some of the common host plants in the butterfly park are Aristolochia indica (Malabar rose), guava (common guava blue), lemon species (Paris peacock), bamboo species (Madras ace or Sahyadri orange ace), heliotropium sp (striped tiger), crotalaria (plain tiger), and passion fruit (Tamil lacewing). Once the common species of butterflies start arriving, rare species are expected to follow.
Disappearance of host plants leads to extinction of species which are unique and endemic to a region. So host plants are as important as the rare species of butterflies.
