Gurgaon: Rare and uncommon butterflies spotted

Some rare and uncommon butterflies that were spotted in the event include the psyche, red pierrot and Indian red flash.

Wildlife enthusiasts captured the movements of more than 80 varieties of nature’s multicoloured free spirits — butterflies — as part of Delhi’s Big Butterfly Count around 6.30am on Sunday.

Equipped with binoculars, cameras, special lenses and a checklist of butterflies, enthusiasts scouted the green patches of the city to record data on butterflies and their habitats.

Some rare and uncommon butterflies that were spotted in the event include the psyche, red pierrot and Indian red flash. Also, butterfly species such as the Indian skipper, tiny grass blue, rounded pierrot, yellow-orange tip, plain tiger, common leopard and forget-me-not were spotted.

Equipped with binoculars, cameras, special lenses and a checklist of butterflies, enthusiasts scouted the green patches of the city to record data on butterflies and their habitats.

The event was aimed at making people aware of the ecosystem of butterflies. The areas scouted for butterflies in Gurgaon include Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, Yamuna Biodiversity Park in Wazirabad, Aravalli Biodiversity Park, Swaran Jayanti Nature Park, Bhondsi and Amity University.

The initiative was led by researchers from Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), to explore butterfly diversity and prepare a fresh inventory to determine the overall ecological balance of Delhi-NCR.

According to the data of BNHS, more than 80 varieties of butterflies were spotted. However, the final list will be released on September 23.

“Butterflies are cold-blooded creatures and need sunlight for energy. They play an important role in the ecosystem. A large number of butterflies indicates a healthy environment,” said Abhishek Gulshan, an expert on birds and butterflies.

Knowing more about the winged creatures will also make people aware of their local birds and trees, claimed experts.

“More than 12 teams spread out in Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida to count species of butterflies. People were very interested in the workshops as they could share their experiences and also learn from others. There are many beautiful green patches in this region, however, they need to be conserved for the future,” said Sohail Madan, project head, Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, BNHS.

He said that nature is full of surprises if explored properly. “We saw rare and uncommon butterfly species in the count (event). Each team spotted nearly 35 species of butterflies. We will release the final result on September 23,” he said.

Participants said that such events bring and people closer. “Nature has its own way of communicating and expressing. Human beings should take steps to conserve it,” said Sumeet Chugh, a wildlife enthusiast who was counting butterflies at Aravalli Biodiversity Park in Gurgaon.