Gate Keeper, Soldier, Lascar, Sailor, Yeoman, Sergeant, Commander, Admiral, Colonel are also butterfly species named by collectors who served or interned with the British Armed forces in different parts of the world
With their habitats mercilessly sacrificed on the altar of fast paced urbanization and infrastructure development, these innocuous and colourful insects are far from a guarantee of safe and continued existence.
From tomorrow till the 20th of this month, the country is set to witness the coming together of butterfly aficionados to celebrate the diversity and existence in our living and wild spaces of; one of the most ubiquitous, colorful and popular insects ever known to mankind. September, the ‘Big Butterfly Month-India 2020’ is set to unify the professional Lepidopterologists, hobbyists and amateurs; energize and synergize them for a common mandate of conservation through awareness and action.
Of course the task is arduous yet achievable, if the citizenry could also be enthused to contribute to the cause. The event seeks to encourage laypeople to document these delicate, multihued, airborne creations of nature; whose variety and beauty can only be paralleled by flowers. No wonder then that they’ve been variously baptized in literature as ‘Flowers in Flight’, ‘Flying Jewels’; and eulogized in mythology as souls flying out of a lifeless body. Butterfly epitomizes change, liberty and blithe spirit. The Christian faith envisions resurrection in the metamorphosis of the hideous caterpillar imprisoned in the darkness of its cocoon-coffin, into an appealing and delicate butterfly.
Despite its popularity, not many have a clue on the rationale of it being called a Butterfly. From imagination as bizarre as night witches turning into winged creatures stealing milk and butter, to the common English butterfly ‘Yellow Brimstone’ whose wing colour closely resembles that of freshly churned butter; etymology of this insect is mind's eye dilated to its limits. Greeks call them ‘Psyche’ and the French ‘Papillon’, the former meaning soul and the latter, a parking ticket that flutters on the windshield of a car.
The English common names of butterflies are no less intriguing, there being the Tiger, Crow, Peacock, Swallow tail, and Tortoise Shell among butterflies. And if that is not amusing enough; Gate Keeper, Soldier, Lascar, Sailor, Yeoman, Sergeant, Commander, Admiral, Colonel are also butterfly species named by collectors who served or interned with the British Armed forces in different parts of the world. This armed forces inspired nomenclature also manifested into a butterfly being named Cruiser, a gunned warship. The British nobility and aristocracy have also crept in butterfly names such as Duke, Earl, Viscount, Baron and Nawab.
My interest and assignation with butterflies began in 1997, when my student Sweeta Vaz investigated seasonal variations in the butterfly diversity of Carmel College campus under my guidance and documented a rich diversity. Her curated butterfly collection occupies a place of pride at the Department of Zoology of the Women’s college. In 1999, the University Grants Commission funded my research on ‘Butterfly diversity of Bondla Wildlife sanctuary’. I’ve had the privilege of editing ‘A photographic guide to butterflies of Goa’ authored by Parag Rangnekar. Coauthoring a research paper with Dr RM Sharma of the Zoological Survey of India, put me in the list of recognized butterfly researchers. With my recent research on the ultra and nanostructures of butterfly wings, I have come a long way in my allure for butterflies.
As the monsoons recede, these colourful ballerine flutter, sway and perform hasty and jerky aerial forays; and are often seen mud-puddling on wet patches. Butterflies are easy to spot, recognize and a delightful subject for the lens. Western Ghats has 336 whereas Amchem Goem has 254 recorded species of butterflies and many elusive species are awaiting discovery. Beyond the iridescence of their wings and aesthetics, these insects render valuable pollinating services. Their sensitivity to subtle environmental changes and habitat fidelity make them invaluable indicators of climate change and changing land uses. Perhaps, butterflies offer the first informal lesson in natural history to the curious child and inculcate love for outdoors in their impressionable minds! They are only next to birds in their ability to attract hobbyist to the outdoors. Their influence extends beyond the Biologists, to the Physicist their wing colouration has opened new vista in domain of Photonics.
But this innocuous ‘splash of self-propelled living colours’ is far from a guarantee of safe and continued existence. Their habitats have been mercilessly sacrificed on the altar of fast paced urbanization and Infrastructure. Intensive agriculture has eradicated their specific food and host plants. Indiscriminate use of agrochemicals has infiltrated their food chains, poisoning and decimating them. Their immaculate beauty has been their greatest enemy, with booming illicit trade in butterflies that fetch a huge price in international markets. Overgrazing and trampling by cattle disrupts the life cycle of some species. But the biggest threat to these delicate life forms is the Climate Change. Unpredictable seasonal manifestations, events of extreme precipitation, forest fires, global warming, and inconsistent phenology of the plants they depend on for food and egg-laying are some serious concerns.
We must strive to conserve these adorable insects that have inspired poetry and artistry across human civilizations. This living entity of awe and exultation cannot be measured with an economic yardstick and we must take it upon ourselves to offer a voluntary and proactive protection to this mesmerizing ‘poetry on wings’. Butterfly ranching and captive breeding could help address severely depleted populations of some species. Creating Butterfly Gardens and corridors can go a long way in substituting fast shrinking habitats, besides supporting local economy in bio-diverse regions.
Apart from the consistent efforts of trained Biologists, as in any conservation initiative; people’s support and involvement is vital and indispensable for Butterfly Conservation. This can come from citizens who can help document species diversity of their regions, form and fund Butterfly Clubs, aid in conservation education and keep a vigil on illegal butterfly collection and trade. Through community involvement, the Big Butterfly Month-India 2020 is set to offer to the butterfly, a slot of eminence on the stage of conservation.
The Covid 19 pandemic has surely slackened the conservation agenda as people have been in confinement and social isolation for quite some time now. But when we find ourselves cocooned in seclusion and gloom, and cannot exit the darkness; we must remember that this is exactly what the caterpillars go through and then turn into the marvel called butterflies.
