Thiruvananthapuram: Come summer, and butterfly watchers would head to forest rivers and swamps, lugging their high-resolution cameras, sure of capturing winged beings in large numbers. But those were better times. “The presence of butterflies has come down. We were at Vazhachal in mid-April and noticed that the number and diversity of butterfly species were less,” says C. Sushant, founder member, Warblers and Waders. He says that the number of dragonflies had also fallen.
The streams are drying up and this could be a reason for finding few butterflies. Another reason could be the non-availability of food plants. Sushant had travelled to Konni, Achankovil and Palaruvi in search of butterflies, but came home disappointed. “Usually, large congregations of common emigrant, the light yellow butterflies which are called ‘kanikkonna salabham,’ are found by the side of the rivers. This time they were spotted, but less,” he says.
Some species were remembered because they were not found at all. “There is a black and green butterfly called five bar swordtail with a lovely tail, which are seen mudpuddling near rivers. This is the time when it draws in minerals ahead of the reproduction during rain. It was not seen at all. I also could not spot Malabar banded swallowtail and red Helen,” says Sushant.
Recently, during a survey conducted by Travancore Natural History Society with the forest department, some butterflies normally found at high altitudes - Coorg forest hopper and large branded swift – were found at low altitudes.
They also spotted an increase in the number of common albatross at low altitudes. TNHS PRO S. Kalesh says, “high altitudes are cooler but are more exposed to the sun. The food plants might have died out and the butterflies might have migrated in search of food.”
Usually, the number of butterflies shoots up with summer showers, says Sushant. For, the food plants for caterpillars, which would have been lying dormant, would flourish.
