The Peacock of Paris (Papilio paris) is a species of swallowtail butterfly found in northeastern India. | Photo Credit: Special Editing
Overexploitation of 25 species of host plants valued for their medicinal properties is threatening swallowtail butterflies in the forest habitats of the part of Assam that is often called the “citrus belt of the world”, a new study has found.
The study, which was conducted in the Bodoland Territorial Region on the northern banks of the Brahmaputra River, also highlighted illegal cattle rearing in protected areas, tea cultivation and cultivation near settlements, illegal logging, and the use of pesticides as key contributing factors. in the decrease in the number of these butterflies.
Kushal Choudhury of the Department of Zoology at the University of Bodoland is the author of the study, which was published in Journal of Risk Tax.
“The decline of swallowtail butterflies in forest habitats, which was not a major concern two decades ago, led the International Union for Conservation of Nature to list them as globally threatened,” he said.
India hosts 77 of the 573 swallowtail butterfly species recorded worldwide so far. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has designated the northeastern part of the country, where 69 species have been recorded, a ‘swallowtail rich area’ under the Swallowtail Conservation Action Plan.
Research by Dr. Choudhury found 4,267 individuals of 35 species representing eight genera. Three are located in the region and 12 enjoy state protection.
“Butterflies are important indicators of nature, their health can affect their presence, abundance, and diversity. The results suggest that the study area [in the Bodoland Territorial region] it’s important to support host plants, adult resources for swallowtail butterflies, and other ecosystems,” she said.
Bodoland Territorial Region is a Sixth Schedule area covering 8,970 sq. km. About 40% of it is covered by forests, especially along the northern border with Bhutan. Butterflies Dr. Choudhury’s studies in the Manas Biosphere Reserve were found to list 25 plant species from six families as their important food sources.
Plant problem
The blue striped mime (Papilio slateri), a species of swallowtail butterfly. | Photo Credit: Special Editing
“Unfortunately, these host plants, which are respected for their traditional medicinal properties, are over-exploited,” said Dr. Choudhury, noting the absence of two rare species – the glory of Bhutan.Bhutanitis lidderdalii) and Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis) – during the study.
Black-bodied swallowtails have been observed to feed on six different plant families, including plants Rutaceae or oranges. “This research area is located in the area of citrus plants in the world and supports 52 species of 17 species of oranges and six species that may be hybrids,” he stressed, emphasizing the connection between orange plants and trees. Papilio species of these butterflies to develop their larvae.
According to research, these citrus species are now confined mainly to home gardens or backyards instead of wild or non-wild habitats because the forest cover has decreased and due to overexploitation. “This decrease in the wild number of orange species may be a possible reason for the disappearance of these butterfly species,” read this newspaper.
Extensive harvesting of three types of family plants Aristolochiaceae from the wild was found to affect the density of swallowtails belonging to Atrophaneura, Pachlioptaagain Triodes a generation. These butterflies have a special diet and eat only plants of this family.
Exploitation of Ligustrum cordatuma plant used in folk medicine, has similarly affected swallowtails of the genus The Lamproptera. The condition is not different from butterflies of other genera, such as Graphiumwhich feed on plants of Lauraceae again Magnoliaceae families.
“The lack of complementary plant resources for these species raises concerns about their longevity and ecological well-being. Host plants are important to the health of many animal species, they play an important role in reproduction and self-care,” said Dr Choudhury.
rahul.karmakar@thehindu.co.in
Published – October 02, 2024 05:30 am IST