Gulf News reader Ramesh Menon was mesmerised by the number of butterflies in a park near the famous Athirappalli waterfalls in Trichur district of Kerala, India. He said: “A conclave of migratory butterflies filled a park. I don’t have words to express what a delightful sight it was.”
According to the Crocodile Bay blog from Costa Rica, Greeks believed butterflies represented the human soul, and for the Chinese and Japanese, butterflies represent the presence of loved ones. These mystical creatures with their delicate wings are insects. They are highly sensitive, so a strong population reflects a healthy and balanced environment.
The website of the Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD) says that there are about 237 different species of butterflies and moths in the UAE. Lepidopterist Dr. Michael P. T. Gillett of Emirates Natural History Group has found that the most common and also one of the largest butterflies found in the UAE is the Plain Tiger Danaus chrysippus chrysippus (Linnaeus). It is a bright orange-brown butterfly, extensively marked with black and white. It can be found everywhere in gardens and farms, along coastal beaches, in the mountains, in both sandy and rocky desert and on gravel plains.
Butterflies play an important ecological role as pollinators. Feeding on flower nectar, they help in cross pollination, thereby contributing to the restoration of ecosystems. Sensitive to climate change, pollution and habitat loss, their existence reflects ecological well-being.
However, the number of butterflies around the world is declining due to their habitat loss, especially in Europe. Many species are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
- Compiled by Prerna Sethi/Reader Interactivity Journalist
