A butterfly park, setup by a college lecturer, Sammilan Shetty, in August this year, has already attracted over 118 species of butterflies. The regular winged visitors to the new park include a few rare species such as the Blue Nawab and the Southern Birdwing (Troides minos), which is the largest Indian butterfly with a wingspan of 19 cm and also an endemic species in Southern India.
The new butterfly park, which is located at Belvai near Karkala, about 42 km from Mangalore in Karnataka, is the sole private initiative in the state. The privately owned park is spread across an area of about 7.35 acres and is open to the public on all Sundays. The park plays host to an average of 80 butterfly enthusiasts, students, and researchers from all across the country every weekend.
Speaking to the press, Shetty informed that the butterfly population in the park has risen over the last one year.
“We have added three new species to the checklist after the inauguration, with the total species count reaching 118 now,” said Shetty.
The new butterfly species that have begun visiting the park include the following:
- Blue Nawab (Polyura schreiber), belonging to the nymphalidae family
- Long-banded Silverline (Spindasis lohita), belonging to the lycaenidae family
- Chestnut Angle (Odontoptilum angulatum), belonging to the hesperiidae family
Shetty also informed that the park might soon see some rare species like the Malabar Banded Peacock (Papilio buddha), an endemic species in the Western Ghats. However, at present visitors can sight the life cycle of South India’s rare Autumn Leaf buttery (Doleschallia bisaltide) as well as see the majestic Southern Birdwing. Shetty added that the Southern Birdwing is a regular visitor to the park and can be sighted in the park till the end of November.
You can log on to www.butterflyparkbelvai.com for more information about the butterfly park and also to know about the arrival of new species.
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Reference Image via cc/Flickr by Bibin C. Alex
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