1. Butterflie
s
Butterflies are beautiful flying insects with striking colours and patterns on
their wings.
Butterflies along with moths belong to the order Lepidoptera (lepido = scale;
ptera = wings).
Lepidoptera is a second largest group of insects, with more than 150, 000
species worldwide.
Butterflies often regarded as flagship species among the insect group.
In terms of indicator organisms for bio-diversity studies butterflies are an
excellent choice they are common almost everywhere, attractive and easy to
observe.
3. Classification
Butterflies belonging to class insect of the phylum Arthropoda.
They along with moths constitute a order Lepidoptera.
There are five families of buttrerflies found in the wetsern ghats viz., Papilionidae,
Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae.
4. Butterfly Morphology
Butterfly body has been divided into head,
thorax and abdomen.
The antennae are located on the head of
the butterfly. They are used to help the
butterfly smell and touch. Each antenna
has a knob on the top of it.
The head portion is completely occupied
by a pair of rounded, compound eyes,
composed of several thousand lenses and
is useful in detecting short-range
movements.
Adult butterfly has specialized mouthparts
called Haustellum or Proboscis. The
mouthparts are modified for purpose of
sucking nectar, nutrients etc.
The proboscis is two narrow tubes that
are joined together.
Proboscis is kept coiled in front and
hidden completely or partly between the
hairy labial palpi.
Body Parts
Head parts
5. The thorax is divided into three smaller segments.The butterfly's legs and wings are
attached to the thorax.
The butterfly has six legs. The two front legs of about half the butterfly species are
very short. The front pair of legs are frequently used to clean the antennae. Each foot
ends in a pair of grasping claws. The feet are also studded with sense organs and are
used to taste food.
A butterfly has four wings, two forewings and two hindwings. The hind wings of the
butterfly are usually more rounded and smaller than the fore (front) wings.
The wings are covered with tiny scales. They are attached to the second and third
thoracic segments (the meso- and meta-thorax). Strong muscles in the thorax move
the wings up and down in a figure-eight pattern during flight.
The abdomen is relatively soft and is divided into 10 segments (7-8 are easily
seen, the others are fused). The abdomen contains the butterfly or moth's
simple, flexible, tube-like heart, Malpighian tubules, reproductive organs
(claspers or ovipositors), many spiracles (breathing pores), and most of the
digestive system (foregut, hindgut and rectum).
6. Butterfly wings are made of two chitonous
layers (membranes) that are nourished and
supported by tubular veins.
The veins also function in oxygen exchange
("breathing").
The wings are covered by thousands of
colorful scales, together with many hairs
(setae).
The name Lepidoptera (which includes
butterflies and moths) means "scale wing" in
Greek. These wing scales are tiny overlapping
pieces of chitin on a butterfly or moth wing.
The scales are outgrowths of the body wall
and are modified, plate-like setae (hairs). The
front and back of the wings usually have
different patterns.
Spot Swordtail butterfly
7. Life Cycle
All butterflies go through a life
cycle known as complete
metamorphosis. The stages of
their life cycle include, egg, larva,
pupa, and adult. The advantage
of metamorphosis is that it
allows the larva and adult to live
in different environmental
conditions.
8. Ecology
Butterflies are the indicator species for the diversity
representing particular vegetation/habitat.
Butterflies are sensitive to the changes in habitat and
climate, which influences their distribution and abundance.
This ultimately leads to the migration in butterflies. Classic
example is the migration in Monarch Butterfly (Danaus
plexippus) between North America and Mexico. In India,
butterflies like Tigers, Crows and Albatross usually migrate
during unfavorable conditions.
Wing patterns and colourations are helpful in studying
seasonal variation. Dry season and wet season forms can
be easily made out in some species like Evening browns,
Bush browns etc.
9. Butterflies play pivotal role in the pollination, especially in
some important angiosperms. While foraging for nectar,
butterflies also carry pollens that help in pollination.
Butterflies are important prey species for birds, reptiles, and
some invertebrates.
Some of them are useful tools in the study of genetics.
Apart from beneficial aspects, some butterflies feed on crops
during their larval stages and wipe out the entire crops,
posing a severe threat to human welfare.
10. Measures to conserve butterflies
Compared to larger mammals the insect groups are totally neglected from
conservation point of view. Except some wildlife protection laws, the
butterflies are most neglected group of insects.
The Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972 (amended in 1993) lists the butterfly
conservation priority. Under this law, collection of butterflies from the wild, or
any action leading to threatening their habitats, is prohibited (Kunte, 2000).
Butterflies are listed in Schedule I, II, IV and V of WPA. The other
conservation measures include the protection of forest and grassy blanks from
encroachments and grazing, and creating butterfly parks and gardens by
planting butterfly larval host plants.
In urban areas, gardens with larval host and adult nectar plants can attract many
butterfly species. This procedure can also be implemented in the home gardens
to attract butterflies.
