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Butterfly Effect
Rama Neelamegam
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“Butterfly effect” is a well known theory in chaos and dynamical systems wherein a small disturbance in the initial conditions
have a dramatic change in the outcome which has no relation none so ever with the actual living insect that we are interest-
ed here!. Well, what that has got to do with this newsletter, you may ask! In retrospect actually it does have a parallel situa-
tion with the real time ecosystem in which we all are part of!
Butterflies are part of the lower pecking order in the food chain. Insects, birds and small reptiles like garden lizards have
butterflies as part of their menu, sometimes even monkeys! They also help in pollinating flowers which later form the vege-
tables and fruit which we eat. The lifecycle of a butterfly depends on different kind of flora at different stages. Usually they
have a very specific larval host plant which may or may not be their nectaring plant. So in general we essentially need all kind
of flora for a healthy butterfly population (numbers and species wise) which acts like a green marker of the environment!
Ok, so a butterfly is very important part of the food chain. So is it be all and end all of its existence? Has nature given them
any tricks to survive from getting predated so that they reach adulthood to ensure their species survive are the questions
one might ask! Well yes! Mother Nature always equips her every creation with some surprising tricks up their sleeve. Prima-
ry one is that at a time a female butterfly lays hundreds of eggs in the hope that at least few tens survive and she certainly
doesn't lay them in the same basket (host plant).
Pictures: Rama Neelamegam
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