The Hindu, October 27, 2014
A butterfly survey at the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR)
recorded 246 out of the 340 species in the Western Ghats. The survey
ended on Sunday.
There are 32 strict Western Ghats
endemic species, and the survey team could record more than 95 per cent
of them, R. Sreehari, ecologist, PTR told
The Hindu
.
“The sightings of Baby Five Ring Ypthima tabella,
Pale Green Awlet Burara gomata kanara, Palm King Amathusia phidippus,
Travancore Evening Brown Parantirrhoea marshallii, and Broadtail Royal
Creon cleobis cleobis were significant,” said Kalesh S., a team member.
The
Baby Five Ring was recorded only thrice in the past 100 years. This
species was recorded from the Eravangalar section of the PTR.
The
Pale Green Awlet, a rare nocturnal species was recorded from Vellimala.
Broadtail Royal was reported for the first time in the State from the
Eravangalar region, Mr. Kalesh said.
Other prominent
species recorded were the rare Eversheds Ace Thoressa evershedi, Coorg
Forest Hopper Arnetta mercara and the Golden Base Treeflitter Quedara
basiflava.
The findings
The survey recorded 17 species of Paplionidae, 25 of Pierides, 78 nymphalidae, one Ryodinidae, 56 Lycenidae, and 69 Hesperidae.
Apart
from the butterflies, the teams recorded around 20 species of mammals,
110 species of birds, 22 species of reptiles, 21 species of amphibians,
36 species of spiders, 20 species of odonates and 25 species of ants.
It is expected that with a follow-up survey, the butterfly species count for the PTR will cross the 300-mark, said Mr. Sreehari.
A
survey of the PTR in 1992 had yielded 162 species of butterflies. The
area covered was much less then. This time, 152 persons took part in the
survey dividing the area into 26 units.
The survey was organised by the Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation in association with other national agencies.
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