India’s second largest butterfly species, Southern Birdwing, has been found on the satellite campus of The American College between Chathirapatti and Kadavur on New Natham Highway in Madurai district.
The species with a wingspan of 190mm, which was known to be India’s largest butterfly species from 1932 to 2020, moved to the second position after a British Brigadier William Harry Evans, a British military officer and lepidopterist, recorded a butterfly species named Golden Birdwing with a wingspan of 194mm.
M. Rajesh, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, The American College, said the male counterparts of these species would be smaller than the female. While the Golden Birdwing is widely found in Himalayan region, the Southern Birdwing can be seen in Western and Eastern Ghats regions.
“Until 2014, when a team from our college found the Southern Birdwing species in Azahagar hills (Eastern Ghats), the species was known to be found only in Western ghats,” he said.
Though these species were of least concern and in no danger of extinction, they are very important for maintaining the balance of the ecosystem, he said. These species are found in abundance in Sirumalai hills near Dindigul.
As September is the migratory season for butterflies, the species must have travelled for the purpose of breeding, Mr. Rajesh said.
Published - September 11, 2024 08:40 pm IST
