TIRUCHY: Lambrix Salsala, a rare species of butterfly was recently sighted at the Srirangam butterfly park, which is maintained by the Forest Department. It is to be noted that this is the 106th species to be recorded since the inception of the park in 2015.
The Tropical Butterfly Conservatory Tiruchy (TBCT), commonly known as the Butterfly Park, is situated close to the Cauvery river at Melur, near Srirangam.
Before the park was opened to the public, a special team from the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) conducted a survey in November 2015, and spotted as many as 38 species of butterfly in the area; 105 species were reportedly spotted in the park over the past four years.
Adding one more to the count, Junior Research fellows Abinaya and Muthu Krishnan on Saturday spotted the Lambrix Salsala (Chestnut bob) butterfly inside the park premises. The Forest Department also appointed a dedicated Junior Research Fellow (JRF) who conducts field-level surveys on a daily basis here.
Speaking about the species, a forest official said that the specific species of butterfly belongs to the Hesperiidae family, and is found across southern Asia. Usually, plants such as Bamboo and Brachiaria Mutica host the species.
The dark brown coloured male butterfly which was spotted in the park had spots on its fore wings. Though it is commonly seen across southern Asia, this is the first time the species was spotted in Tiruchy.
Speaking to TNIE, District Forest Officer, D Sujatha, said, "The eco-system is considered healthy if a lot of butterflies are spotted. The TBCT attracts a wide range of butterflies due to its healthy environment.
As many as 106 varieties of butterflies were spotted in the premises. Once a specific species is spotted in the area, the host plants are planted to increase the number of butterflies." The officer also said that
1000-3000 people come to the eco-park daily.