Butterfly conservation

Butterfly conservation

Butterflies are the most attractive than most other insects. They have been referred to as ‘flagships’ and ‘honorary birds’. They are valuable pollinators when they move from plant to plant gathering necter. Butterflies are one of the important food chain components of the birds, reptiles , spiders and predatory insects . They are also good indicators of environmental quality as they are sensitive to the changes in the environment . They are good candidate materials for the study of genetics , insect-plant interactions and co-evolution .

Threats to butterflies

Threat to butterflies largely arises from the human exploitation of forestry, agriculture and other resources . These threats include successional overgrowing of fields, pastures and grasslands, agricultural practices , urbanization , over grazing, change in climate , air pollution , ditching and draining of wet forests , swamps and bogs in the forest landscape , forest plantation practices such as cutting of broad leaved forests and plantations of conifers , monoculture of tea , coffee and other commercial crops, over collection, cutting of bushes and trees along edges of fields and grasslands , opening forests for non- forest activities such as mining , road laying and industrial activities , and clearing large forest areas for construction of dams . All these activities have put enormous pressure on the wild life including butterflies.

Conservation

The great richness of the butterflies species in the tropics, together with extensive and accelerating loss of tropical habitat , such as rain forest warrants taking up of butterfly conservation immediately in our country .
Butterfly habitat protection should be give the first priority in any conservation programme . Attempts should be made to initiate conservation of butterflies in the national parks and sanctuaries . Research effort should be stepped up to gather basic information on the biology and ecology of all butterflies in any area as these are lacking in most cases . It will provide a sound basis for effective management programmes

Butterfly collection should be regulated . While doing so , a distinction should be made between personal and commercial collecting . Suitable criteria should be evolve to know whether collecting causes any change to butterfly populations as butterflies vary widely in their susceptibility to collecting . Not all butterflies are at risk uniformly due to collection. Weak – flying , conspicuous , sedentary species are much more at risk than active , inconspicuous , agile ones. So tolerant , but not different , attitudes towards collecting should be fostered and emphasies should be given to photography ,butterfly watching , scientific recording and other non-destructive activities . Dealers should be licensed to trade only in species that are common and not threatened .

The endangered /rare species of butterflies can be suitably cultured and released back into the environment through butterfly farming and butterfly ranching .These are also useful for educating the public , research activities and commercial purposes.
Conservation butterflies can be made more effective by involving all in the conservation movement . Conservationists should attempt to use the prestige of national entomological societies more effectively. These societies have large memberships with a wide range of interest and expertise . Help may also be sought from the international organization like the Lepidoptera Specialist group of the world Conservation union’s (IUCN) special survival commission . This group is mainly concerned with conservation in the tropics. National insects conseration bodies may may also be established in our country . Non- government bodies such as the (IUCN) the world wide fund for the nature( WWF) , the Bombay natural history society , Ornithological societies and nature clubs also be involved .

Butterfly conservation efforts such as teethed with suitable legislation is only one aspect of conservation but it has achieved greater importance in several countries . The aim of legislation should be to conserve the butterflies while placing the minimum of necessary restrictions on study and enjoyment . Greater attention should be given to ‘ endangered species ‘ rather than to protected one as the former are more at risk . Greater use could also be made of the Conservation on Wetlands of International Importance especially as wild fowl habitat . A special effort should be put in to using the Ramsar Convention for butterfly conservation in our country . Strict and effective implementation of the Conservation on International Trade in Endangered species of wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will help in checking the illegal butterfly trade. The wildlife protection Act 1972 of India has enough provitions for conservation of natural resources including butterflies . Under the Act, nearly 120 species and sub –species of butterflies and moths are in schedule 1 and nearly 292 species and sub-species are in the Schedule 2. Among Indian butterflies , the kiser-1-Hind , Teinopalpus imperialis found in the north east from Sikkim eastwards is the rarest and is listed in the Red Data Book : Threatned Swallotail Butterflies of the World . The Bhutan Glory Bhutanitis Lidderdalei is also listed in the Red Data Book . Red data books for Indian butterflies may be prepared as resource materials .

Butterfly conservation depends not just on commited conservationists , scientists and teachers put on an informed and interested public. Butterflies even though forming a conspicuous part of nature, have virtually no practical use to man unlike other plants and animals . Despite the stiking appearance , their diversity of shape and color and their co-existance with human habitats , the world of butterflies is not classified linguistically . It is rare for a culture to have more than one word to describe all the variation species of Lepidoptera. For example , it is Vannattthupoochi or Pappathi in Tamil and Chittira Shalabam in Malayalam . It describes only the flight of butterflies /Lepidoptera . People also are awre of the metamorphosis of butterflies as many people in several countries associate butterflies with the souls of the dead , new plant growth , the heat of fire , the light of the sun and relevant sacrificial rites . So our interest in the magical world of butterflies and moths does not focus upon their diversity of form and color. So efforts should be made to change the people’s perception of butterfly from a cultural object to the common resource through education.

Butterfly Photo Gallery