Winging their way into Chandigarh

Now,unlike the United States or Canada,which conduct,authorised butterfly censuses,every year,their population in India or Chandigarh cannot be pinpointed with exactitude,but visual evidence is strong.

Take a peek at the myriad gardens and the floral roundabouts of the city beautiful and you would see swarms of butterflies making merry. Morbid superstitions suggest that this is a tell-tale sign of an impending earthquake. But experts don’t think that delightful creatures like these have any macabre connotation.

Dr Varinder Walia,Professor of Zoology,in Panjab University,said,“The fact that you see so many butterflies is a bio indicator. These delicate creatures don’t survive in polluted environment. This shows that the environment quality in Chandigarh is very good.” But then,even after considering Chandigarh’s excellent environment,there seems to be a dramatic rise in the population of these creatures in the last few months. Some experts think that it could be partly due to the weather conditions this year with late and deficient rains.

India is home to 1,500 varieties of butterflies. Around 1,000 of these are endemic only to North Eastern states. Four species that are abundant in Chandigarh are Catopsilia crocale,Catopsilia pyranthe,Catopsilia pomona and Catopsilia florella. The leaves of trees of the Cassia variety are the favourite food of these species.

Gunbir Singh,President of World Wide for Nature,Punjab (WWF),said,“The vegetation cover around Chandigarh is continuously decreasing due to increase in construction activity. Also,during the pupa and caterpillar stage,butterflies like the cool and green environment of hills. But due to an increase in industrial activity in Baddi and Pinjore and the rise of construction in places like Kasauli,a lot of butterflies now prefer to hatch in Chandigarh,which has not only maintained but augmented its vegetation.”

But there is something about butterflies,which makes them look very agitated this time. They seem to be frenetically flying all over the place. “This should not give you any butterflies in stomach,” quips Dr Walia. “This is also the breeding season. Here,the male butterfly is quiet identical to a human male. He flies fast and even if his advances are rejected by the female of the species,he is relentless in his pursuit.”