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Kallar 200– A long term TNBS Study on Kallar Butterflies
Early Accounts of Butterflies from Kallar
Indian Butterflies were first investigated by Linnaeus in the year 1758. Systematic account of Nilgiri Hills butterflies were first
accounted by Sir George Hampson (1888), followed by Evans, Yates, Wynter-Blyth (1943-1957) and recently Larsen
(1987,1988). Interestingly, M A Wynter-Blyth was Headmaster at St. George’s School in Ketti (1941-44). His book, Butterflies of
the Indian Region published by the Bombay Natural History Society in 1957 was for a long time the only handy guide to butter-
flies in India. In fact, many of the specimens collected/ species identified are from places like Kallar, Nadugani and Coonoor.
Low land forest closely followed by wet evergreen forest make the habitat rich for Butterflies (Source: ZSI). Various accounts
and literature indicate a presence of 334 butterfly species for Western Ghats and 324 butterfly species for Tamil Nadu. Torben
B. Larsen in his “THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE NILGIRI MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN INDIA (LEPIDOPTERA: RHOPALOCERA) 1987 pa-
per published in BNHS Journal lists 299 butterfly species. However, recent and exclusive account of butterflies occurring in the
Kallar Reserve Forest is not readily available and found wanting.
Butterflies at Kallar- Study Phase and Methodology
Members of The Nature and Butterfly Society, Coimbatore (previously Tamil Nadu Butterfly Society) have frequented the place
between July 2014 and August 2019. Visits are usually on holidays, especially Sundays, and at least one visit per month. 3-4
butterfly naturalists participated on an average in a week. Butterflies occurring on the road from NH juncture to Garden gate
and inside the garden are recorded family wise, species wise along with population. The results were recorded on checklist
sheets and were then electronically stored. Special events and sightings are highlighted to the media and the Forest Depart-
ment through short notes and press releases like migration events, abundance of species, sighting of rare species. Apart from
the adult population, early stages were also recorded like eggs, pupae and caterpillar. No adult butterflies were captured physi-
cally and harmed. Photographic evidences have been created for all possible species. Regular observations have been made
available in the online Facebook page of the society- Tamilnadu Butterflies. Necessary permissions were sought from the Coim-
batore Forest Division when additional areas were required to be inspected and for a formal organised walks (which were how-
ever a few instances only).
Results- Overview
The society has published an interim observation in October 2017 (through society newsletter Pattampoochi: Vol 1 Wings 4 pp:
4-11) for the study period between July 2014 and July 2017 and informal observation between 2012 and 2014. A total of 167
butterfly species have been reported with species representation from five families except Riodinidae.
In the current updated context and the period up to August 2019, a total of 200 butterfly species have been recorded by soci-
ety members. Necessity to prepare the current report and dissemination of the same is due to the significant 200 species. The
society has formulated a methodology of defining a hotspot if 25% (75 species and above) of the state checklist species are
found in a single definable area (not a broad area, but within a 5 sq. km area). With Kallar touching 200 species now, it should
be now called “Super-Hotspot”.
The following Table provides the breakup of 200 butterfly species sighted family wise:
Table 1: Family wise breakup of butterflies sighted at Kallar
S. No Family
1 Papilionidae, Swallowtails
Latreille, [1802]
Pieridae, Whites and Yellows
Swainson, 1820
Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies
Rafinesque, 1815
Lycaenidae, Blues
Leach, 1815
Riodinidae, Metalmarks
Grote, 1895
Hesperiidae, Skippers
Latreille, 1809
Total
2
3
4
5
6
No of species
sighted at Kallar No of target species of
Tamil Nadu state
15 19
25 32
57 96
57 93
0 2
46 83
200 325
PATTAMPOOCHI
A TNBS MAGAZINE
WINGS 4 VEINS 1
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