Risky flight

There is an imminent threat to scores of butterfly species found in India. Experts discuss why it should matter to you that the titli survives

The population of pollinators, especially butterflies, seem to be on the decline around the world. A new study led by Lynn Dicks, an agro-ecologist at the University of Cambridge, states that disappearing habitats and the use of pesticides are driving the loss of pollinator species, posing a threat to “ecosystem services” that 
provide food and well-being to many millions.

India isn’t insulated from this crisis either. With an imminent threat to close to 35 butterfly species in the country, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), experts say now is the time to act. India is home to around 1,320 butterfly species, but this number keeps changing as new discoveries are made every year. “Officially, nearly 350 species of butterflies were placed under Schedule I and Schedule II under the Wildlife Protection Act during the 1980s, putting them next in line to the tiger, elephant and whale. But most of the species placed in this list were based on the status given to them in the 1930 book, The Identification of Indian Butterflies: Brigadier WH Evans, without proper scrutiny and upgrading. This led to the inclusion of many common species in this list,” says Sohini Vanjari, who has an MSc degree in zoology. Experts agree that this list needs to be updated. “From Himalayas to the Gangetic plains and from the Western Ghats to the Northeast of India, the geographical diversity is well represented by the diversity of the butterfly population. The beautiful Apollo butterflies, which are endemic to the Himalayan regions are considered quite rare. The white dragontail, Bhutan Glory and Kaisar-e-hind are species that are endemic to the Northeast and you might need some luck to even spot them. Whereas the Malabar banded peacock, Malabar tree nymph and Palmking are endemic to the Western Ghats, and you are likely to encounter them by chance,” adds Vanjari.

Regal Apollo. Pic courtesy/Isaac Kehimkar

Healthy butterfly populations are indicators of improved environmental conditions. If butterflies were to go extinct, how would it impact us? “All the rare and endangered butterflies occur in rich natural habitats; these butterflies are certainly the flagships of those regions and indicate the good health of those habitats. But we need to ensure that butterfly populations around cities remain stable to indicate that the quality of the environment hasn’t dipped. For this, a good amount of greenery needs to be protected. It helps host wildlife, including butterflies. Butterflies are extremely sensitive to the quality of the environment.  Their presence around us ensures our well-being,” says Isaac Kehimkar, chairman and director of iNaturewatch Foundation, 
Navi Mumbai.

From apples to coffee, many food crops also depend on butterflies for pollination. If we are to eat and drink, pollinators must survive. “Not many are aware that pollination of food crops is critical to food production for humans. After bees, butterflies come next in priority and fulfil the important task of pollination. That makes them useful insects,” Kehimkar adds.

Isaac Kehimkar

Abhinav Mathur, CEO of Something’s Brewing, a coffee company, agrees, explaining that the presence of butterflies at a coffee plantation is a sure indicator of sustainable growing practices. “Any depletion of the butterfly population in a habitat is an early indicator of declining biodiversity and will have disastrous consequences, both for the coffee plantations and the overall flora and fauna of the region over time.”

Thankfully, the 165 species spotted in and around Mumbai are not yet under threat. Sachin Rane, who is associated with Wildnest, an outfit that organises nature tours, explains, “I study the host plants of butterflies, and as per my knowledge, they are not critically endangered yet. However, due to climate change and deforestation, a lot of species in remote areas are going extinct. Some species are even poached and sold outside the country.” This  makes it critical to raise awareness around butterfly protection. 

Sanjay Sodhi of Titli Trust, a Dehradun-based environment-focussed non-profit, says, “Protect habitats: forests in urban and rural regions. Reduce use of chemicals such as pesticides and chemical fertilisers. Stop the practice of compensatory plantations and commercial monocultures since these justify biodiversity reduction. In urban landscapes, ‘re-wild’ spaces, whether they are homes, offices or complexes, by planting native plant species. Native plants play wonderful hosts to butterfly larvae and nectarine species. We don’t need exotic plants, especially in gardens. Incentivise local communities to protect habitats by promoting nature-linked ecotourism, focussed on lesser-known fauna such as birds, butterflies and moths. This is already happening in many places such as Devalsari, Pawalgarh in Uttarakhand, Tale WLS, Pakke Tiger Reserve, Eaglenest WLS in Arunachal Pradesh, and the Garo Hills in Meghalaya.”

Butterflies play an important role in nature as pollinators and food for other creatures such as spiders, lizards, birds, dragonflies and mantids. If butterflies were to go extinct, it would cause a break in the chain of the web of life, eventually impacting humans too.

Host plants for butterflies

False Ashoka
Curry leaves
Custard apple
Castor
Calotropis
Cassia
Citrus

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