A total of 185 species of butterfly were recorded in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) during the monsoon butterfly survey conducted from June 28 to 30.
C. Vidhya, Deputy Director of MTR (Core Area), said in a statement that the survey was organised exclusively for butterflies in the reserve.
Highlights of the survey include the Malabar Raven, Paris Peacock, Malabar Banded Peacock, Plain Puffin, Chocolate Albatross, Tamil Yeoman (the State butterfly), Tamil Lacewing, Clipper, Cruiser, Painted Lady, Scarce Shot Silverline, Angled Sunbeam, Nilgiri Tit, Silverstreak Blue, Leaf Blue, Double-banded Judy, Orange Awlet, Orangetail Awl, Hampson’s Hedge Hopper, and the Philippine Swift.
Species that were noticed in abundance include the Blue Tiger, Dark Blue Tiger, Double-branded Crow, Common Crow, Common Emigrant, Mottled Emigrant, Common Four-ring, Common Five-ring, and Common Grass Yellow (a new observation). Some of these were observed in the thousands, officials said.
Large-scale migration was also observed during the survey.
In December 2022, the first-ever such in MTR recorded 175 species of butterflies.
The Hampson’s Hedge Hopper spotted in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, situated in the Nilgiris district, is spread over 688.50 square kilometers and is at the tri-junction of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The hills and forest arrangement are part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve with elevation ranging from 428 meters to 2,065 meters above mean sea level. It provides a large conservation landscape for tigers and Asian elephants,” said Ms. Vidhya, adding that the survey was coordinated by The Nature and Butterfly Society (TNBS) Coimbatore, and WWF-India along with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.
At the ground level, the study was coordinated by respective Forest Range officers. The participants in the butterfly survey were from Coimbatore, The Nilgiris, Erode, Salem, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Chennai, Puducherry, and Kerala. From the TNBS, a team comprising of A Pavendhan, was involved in the planning along with the Forest Department, it was stated, while D. Boominathan, Landscape Coordinator from WWF-India was also involved.
A total of 16 teams comprising 49 naturalists and butterfly enthusiasts along with more than 100 MTR field officials and staff are said to have participated in the exercise, with all eight ranges in the reserve – five from the core are and three from the buffer being covered.
Participants were briefed on the survey methodology and safety during the inaugural meeting held on 28th June 2024 at Advanced Wildlife Management Training Centre, Theppakadu.
The Plain Puffin spotted in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The 185 species count indicates a healthy butterfly population. The species were from six butterfly families: Swallowtails (16), Whites and Yellows (24), Brush-footed Butterflies (52), Blues (59), Metalmarks (1) and Skippers (33), officials said.
Addressing the participants and forest staff at the end of the survey, Ms. Divya stressed the importance of documenting butterflies within the Tiger Reserve as they are a critical component of the ecosystem and are a key indicator reflective of the health of the habitat.
With the latest comprehensive survey, the number of butterfly species documented in MTR stands at 217 species, she said.
“The survey was aimed at arriving a baseline data for the butterflies present in the reserve, and will be be used to draw up a specific management plan for the protection of butterflies,” she added.
