Fluttering fancies
MALEEHA RAGHAVIAH
The migration of butterflies is a phenomenon to watch. The butterflies move in large swarms, not very high from the ground.
KOZHIKODE
Come December, it is time for migrant butterfly species to make their appearance in certain pockets in Kerala. Environmentalists and wildlife enthusiasts are keen observers of the migration.
Jaffer Palot, secretary, Kozhikode-based Malabar Natural History Society, has a lot of interesting details on the migratory paths of the colourful insects.
The migration takes place from the Western Ghats to the north, to areas such as Coorg, and to the south to the Nilgiris and Tamil Nadu. Some of the butterfly species come to the plains also. There are historical details by Europeans on such migrations.
Some information
Though no comprehensive study has been conducted on butterfly migration, the Malabar Natural History Society has sought to bring out certain details in its publication Keralathile chithrashalabangal.
Swarms of the Common Albatross (Appias albina) have been noticed during December and January. A good number of migratory swarms of the Common Albatross have been sighted by environmentalists and others in different parts of the State during the season, which stretches up to February.
The other butterfly species associated with the migration of the Common Albatross were Giant Orange Tip, Blue Bottle, Common Jay, Red Helen, Painted Sawtooth, Blue Mormon and Common Crow.
Mass migration
The verdant Wayanad is one region where mass migration of Plain Puffin (Appias indra) occurs. In Mananthavadi, environmentalists have reported of swarms of Plain Puffin. Mud puddling of this species was observed in the Periyar Reserve Forests in Wayanad as well as the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kannur District.
Jaffer Palot says the danaine family of butterflies such as Common Crow, Dark Blue Tiger, Blue Tiger and Double branded Crow were spotted in March in Chandanathodu in Wayanad. The danaine butterfly species have also been noted in April in Wayanad.
Moving in large swarms, they do not fly very high from the ground.
The Emigrant is another species sighted in North Kerala in places such as Sulthan Bathery and Tirunelli in Wayanad, Kakkayam, besides Thalassery, and Vadakara.
An interesting feature of butterfly behaviour is their big get-together (Aggregation). Environmentalists have noted such congregations in March-April at Aralam and Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary and at Chalakudi.
The Malabar Natural History Society has created a network of students with a view to studying butterfly migration through a scientific methodology.
The society has been organising butterfly study camps for school and college students the last four years. This year too a camp will be conducted during the Christmas vacation, Jaffer said.
MALEEHA RAGHAVIAH
The migration of butterflies is a phenomenon to watch. The butterflies move in large swarms, not very high from the ground.
KOZHIKODE
Come December, it is time for migrant butterfly species to make their appearance in certain pockets in Kerala. Environmentalists and wildlife enthusiasts are keen observers of the migration.
Jaffer Palot, secretary, Kozhikode-based Malabar Natural History Society, has a lot of interesting details on the migratory paths of the colourful insects.
The migration takes place from the Western Ghats to the north, to areas such as Coorg, and to the south to the Nilgiris and Tamil Nadu. Some of the butterfly species come to the plains also. There are historical details by Europeans on such migrations.
Some information
Though no comprehensive study has been conducted on butterfly migration, the Malabar Natural History Society has sought to bring out certain details in its publication Keralathile chithrashalabangal.
Swarms of the Common Albatross (Appias albina) have been noticed during December and January. A good number of migratory swarms of the Common Albatross have been sighted by environmentalists and others in different parts of the State during the season, which stretches up to February.
The other butterfly species associated with the migration of the Common Albatross were Giant Orange Tip, Blue Bottle, Common Jay, Red Helen, Painted Sawtooth, Blue Mormon and Common Crow.
Mass migration
The verdant Wayanad is one region where mass migration of Plain Puffin (Appias indra) occurs. In Mananthavadi, environmentalists have reported of swarms of Plain Puffin. Mud puddling of this species was observed in the Periyar Reserve Forests in Wayanad as well as the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kannur District.
Jaffer Palot says the danaine family of butterflies such as Common Crow, Dark Blue Tiger, Blue Tiger and Double branded Crow were spotted in March in Chandanathodu in Wayanad. The danaine butterfly species have also been noted in April in Wayanad.
Moving in large swarms, they do not fly very high from the ground.
The Emigrant is another species sighted in North Kerala in places such as Sulthan Bathery and Tirunelli in Wayanad, Kakkayam, besides Thalassery, and Vadakara.
An interesting feature of butterfly behaviour is their big get-together (Aggregation). Environmentalists have noted such congregations in March-April at Aralam and Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary and at Chalakudi.
The Malabar Natural History Society has created a network of students with a view to studying butterfly migration through a scientific methodology.
The society has been organising butterfly study camps for school and college students the last four years. This year too a camp will be conducted during the Christmas vacation, Jaffer said.
