Flying Jewels of the Western Ghats (INeedCoffee.com)

Flying Jewels of the Western Ghats

BUTTERFLY & MOTH SMUGGLING:

A global network of poachers and smugglers are wiping out threatened species of butterflies & moths. Smugglers entice the locals and school children by paying them rupees fifty for every butterfly or moth they catch. They are then killed, dried and used in greeting cards, wall plate hangings and for other ornamental and decorative purposes.

In the international market some species of butterflies like the bird wing butterfly found on the Tiger hill of Jammu and Kashmir is sold at $2500. The yellow color in the wings of some species is permanent and is used in gold ornaments. The most endangered species are the giant swallowtail Papilio homerus, whose velvety black and gold wings are highly prized as decorative agents.

In spite of butterflies being protected by International and National laws, butterfly smuggling is rampant in India, especially from the Western Ghats. Lack of expertise in the identification of butterflies (ENDANGERED, RARE, THREATENED SPECIES) helps smugglers get away. Such lacuna in the system needs to be corrected with immediate effect. Believe it or not, trade in endangered species (including wildlife) is worth an estimated 15 billion dollars a year.

Payal and Nihal J Pereira with the help of posters and miniatures are creating an awareness programmee in and around the coffee zones; educating the local farmers to resist the temptation of butterfly smuggling. Parents can play an important role in inspiring their children to be guardians of nature.

WHY BUTTERFLIES LOVE SUNLIGHT AND ARE COLOURED:

Butterflies are cold blooded insects. In simple terms they do not generate enough heat from their own metabolic activities to provide them with the heat and energy needed to fly. They rely on the heat absorbed from the sun. It is for this very reason that they often bask in the sun with wings outstretched. Butterflies can only fly if their body temperature is above 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

FACTS

The fact of the matter is that most butterfly species have an average lifespan ranging from 20 to 40 days. A few species may live up to nine months.
Butterflies are found world wide except on the continent of Antarctica.
Butterflies can only see the colors red, green and yellow.
Most butterfly species are dark colored because they need to absorb heat from the surrounding environment.

Caterpillars spend most of their time eating leaves using strong mandibles (jaws). A caterpillar’s first meal, however, is its own eggshell. A few caterpillars are meat-eaters; the larva of the carnivorous Harvester butterfly eats woolly aphids.
Butterflies do not have any chewing mouth parts. They are gifted with a tubular straw like appendage known as proboscis which enables them to sip nectar. Butterflies “smell” with their antennae and taste with their feet.
Butterflies are one of the few creatures on earth that can orient themselves both in latitude and longitude.

Male butterflies attract females by releasing pheromone chemicals (scent) from their abdomen.
Butterflies and moths are picky in choosing leaves for egg laying.
Butterflies and moths are picky in choosing leaves for their diet.
When folded, a butterfly’s wings are usually much less colorful, providing instant camouflage from would-be predators.

The earliest butterfly fossils are from the early Cretaceous period, about 130 million years ago. Their development is closely linked to the evolution of flowering plants (angiosperms)
Butterflies are the only insect that has scales. Butterfly scales contains pigment, which in combination with light refraction gives butterflies their colors.

Moth species outnumber butterfly species by 16-to-1.

CONCLUSION

The Western Ghats, one of the hotspots of biodiversity is unique and should be better protected and managed. There is mounting concern regarding the devastating losses to butterfly colonies because of unprecedented habitat destruction. This is the single greatest threat to butterflies. The rate of deforestation is accelerating and is already higher than the average compared to other parts of India.

From egg to adult Butterflies undergo a metamorphosis that is complex and often beset with problems like weather, predators, lack of food and human encroachment on habitat.

Let us begin with the smallest steps by planting flowering plants in our backyards and help native butterflies survive. In schools we need to encourage gardening and so also in public places with green all round. Schools and colleges should conduct training programmes and guided field trips, so that students learn firsthand the wild behavior of these beautiful winged jewels. School children from the primary level should be taught about butterflies and the vital role they play in different aspects of human life. Awareness at all levels will definitely help these winged jewels survive and coexist in a world dominated by humans.