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The glass window - Attraction or obstruction?
Finally, the butterfly attraction to the glass window would have been due to obstruction of the travel
path. The compound eyes of a butterfly has a greater sensitivity but a poor resolution to avoid larger
obstacles in front of them. I have observed the butterflies getting hit to glass continuously trying to move
forward. Whenever I see this happening, I catch that particular butterfly and help them to move away
from the glass obstacle. Sometime, the butterflies would fly away happily and the other time they return
back to the same glass window. This observation is partially supporting both the attraction and
obstruction factors of the glass window.
Though the attraction of butterfly creates an aesthetic feel, they are not free from the danger of humans.
With the growth of social media, the craze for photography among students is also increasing. Who will
not be happy while taking selfie photo with a butterfly? Some students on the college campus are seen
handling the butterflies cautiously (Image 3). While others, go to lethal extremes by rough handling the
butterflies causing wing damage that eventually leads to mortality. Most of these students who were
extreme in handling were unaware of butterfly’s role and importance. Utilizing this opportunity, I
grabbed my chance to educate them on butterflies and proper handling techniques.
In a 450 acres (1,96,00,000 ft 2 ) college campus, I still wonder how a 72 ft 2 area sized glass window (6x3
feet (4nos)) attracts 26%(36/138) of the campus butterflies. Is this event a perfect coincidence of my
limited observation and resting butterfly? Or there exist some scientific principle behind this attraction
phenomenon? The glass window still remains an unsolved mystery. More observations, especially on the
pattern of rest time, behavior, climate and stay period are necessary to critically arrive on a conclusion of
this intriguing enigma.
The list of Butterflies attracted to glass window:
(Image 2)
Papilionidae
1. Common Jay
2. Common Rose
3. Common Mormon
4. Lime Butterfly
5. Common Banded Peacock
Pieridae
1. Common Grass Yellow
2. Common Emigrant
3. Mottled Emigrant
4. Common Gull
5. Common Jezebel
Nymphalidae
1. Plain Tiger
2. Dark Blue Tiger
3. Dark Blue Tiger
4. Common Crow
5. Southern Duffer
6. Common Evening Brown
7. Tamil Bushbrown
8. Common Leopard
9. Common Baron
10. Clipper
11. Yellow Pansy
12. Chocolate Pansy
13. Peacock Pansy
14. Lemon Pansy
15. Great Eggfly
Lycaenidae
1. Common Lineblue
2. Pea Blue
3. Gram Blue
4. Silverstreak Blue
5. Peacock Royal
6. Monkey Puzzle
Hesperiidae
1. Malabar Spotted Flat
2. Tamil Spotted Flat
3. Malabar Spotted Flat
4. Tricolor Pied Flat
PATTAMPOOCHI
A TNBS MAGAZINE
WINGS 2 VEINS 4
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