March 14 is National Butterfly Day. These captivating creatures play an important role as the health barometer of the environment.

Stay near me—do not take thy flight! Thus pleads the English poet William Wordsworth in his lyric poem, “To A Butterfly”.

Wordsworth calls the butterfly the historian of his infancy, and surely most people belonging to an earlier generation would recall having chased butterflies one time or the other in their childhood. This would have been in an age when towns and cities weren’t mere concrete jungles, and the countryside was unpolluted by pesticides and insecticides. Alas, human dominion has as usual broken nature’s social union, and these graceful winged creatures are now sadly on the decline.

In many cultures, butterflies represent the human soul. The Greek name for butterfly, ‘Psyche,’ alludes to the soul, and from it originate the terms referring to subjects dealing with the mind —psychic, psychology, psychiatry and such.

These nectar-sipping winged insects which perform the role of pollination, have been around for a little more than 50 million years. Their three-step transformation, from the lowly creeping caterpillar, the dormant chrysalis, and finally the emergence of the beautiful winged creature has also captured the imagination of humanity.

Health-check

Together with bees and birds, butterflies are looked upon as the health barometer of the environment. They have short lifespans and thus react quickly to environmental changes. This is true of all insects, but butterflies on account of their bright colouring and constant flitting, are more easily noticed than the others. Their sudden absence from an area which they usually habituate indicates that something is wrong, however subtle the change may be, an inference that anyone with an interest in the surroundings can easily make.

A creature that gives us joy, helps maintain ecological balance, acts as a valuable environmental indicator, and figures in art, poetry, literature, mythology and religion, certainly deserves a special day for its own in the calendar. The National Butterfly Day which falls on March 14, recognises the profound significance that a butterfly bears on its wings. It is a day for us to reflect on the varied stories, thoughts about the power in a butterfly to transform — itself and us; and of a transformation from the inside out.

At home

Butterflies inhabit all continents except the Antarctic. There are about 18,500 species of butterflies of which, some 1500 inhabit India. The largest of all Indian butterflies is the Southern birdwing, which inhabits the woodlands of the Western Ghats and parts of the Eastern Ghats of peninsular India. The Western Ghats in tself is home to around 334 species of these butterflies, of which, some 47 varieties are peculiar to this region alone.

The Nilgiri Hills are considered to be the hottest of all the biological hotspots in this mountain chain. The Wynter-Blyth Association, a body of butterfly-enthusiasts, has enumerated around 256 types of butterflies in these hill tracts. The Association is named in commemoration of Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth, who from 1941-1946, during his tenure as headmaster in a leading public school near Ooty, collected and documented butterflies around the Nilgiris.

The Association held a five-day butterfly survey in October last year, the first of its kind in 30 years, named in memoriam of another butterfly enthusiast of this district, Toben B. Larsen. Though the organisers were happy to record butterflies that are considered rare, the ravages of climate change were only too evident.

Flutter facts

The oldest recorded observation on the butterfly is found in the Rig Veda, where it is referred to as Patanga.

Three Indian states have adopted butterflies as their state symbols: Karnataka (the Southern birdwing); Maharashtra (the blue Mormon), and Uttarakhand (the West Himalayan common peacock).

Not all butterfly species are gaily coloured; a few camouflage themselves with sober shades to evade predation.

A few butterfly species migrate long distances. Unlike bird migrations, these are one-way journeys and may take place over a number of generations.

Butterflies do not feed on nectar alone, they also absorb minerals and other nutrients from wet patches in the soil and from animal dung. This behaviour is known as puddling.

Butterflies perform the vital function of ‘cross pollination.’ This ensures a good mix of genes, desirable for the health of all plant-life.

Many flowering plants are so closely linked to butterflies and vice versa, that one cannot survive without the other. Such an occurrence can trigger a chain of events which may eventually lead to mass extinction.

Let’s go butterflying!

The citizen’s science and recreational activity which concerns the observation and study of butterflies, is called butterfly watching or butterflying. It is an interesting hobby and all it needs is time and patience.

Observing these winged insects can be fun, and with a little study and practice, you will be able to identify the many different species. The best time to go butterflying would be around afternoon, the time when these creatures take wing in the heat of the day. Nectar plant patches, meadows, muddy tracts, stream edges, and puddles, are some good places to find butterflies. A good butterfly guide, and a pair of low-power binoculars will be of help to beginners. Adding a butterfly-friendly landscape to one’s yard by grouping nectar sources and host plants in large clusters, is also a part of this pursuit.