Massive declines in insect biodiversity and biomass are reported from many regions and habitats. In urban areas, creation of native wildflower meadows is one option to support insects and reduce maintenance costs of urban green spaces. However, benefits for insect conservation may depend on previous land use, and the size …
K.S. Sudhi KOCHI: Scientists are working on projects for sequencing the DNA of a wide variety of trees, fishes, insects and animals as part of a project for barcoding life. Researchers of the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, Thrissur, are working on projects to barcode Oak Leaf butterflies (Satyrid …
environmental sciences Foster care The large blue butterfly, Maculinea arion, knows how to fool ants into raising their caterpillars. But when the ant, Myrmica sabuleti, disappear there survival is at stake, a study has shown. The butterfly lays eggs on thyme flowers and the caterpillars fall on the ground after …
AHMEDABAD: Chasing colourful butterflies in the concrete jungle of Ahmedabad may seem far-fetched. But come November, and this dream will turn into reality in nearby Gandhinagar. Except, you won't be allowed to catch these flying fairies. Are you wondering how? The Gujarat Ecological, Education and Research (GEER) Foundation is developing …
Smriti Kak Ramachandran NEW DELHI: Considered one of the greenest Capitals globally, Delhi is adding more greens and a smattering of colour to its existing biodiversity. The Delhi Government has roped in the Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, to create a bambusetum (an assortment of bamboo species), an arboretum (a …
R. Jagadeeswara Rao VISAKHAPATNAM: Butterflies - the name that instantly evokes aesthetically exciting and romantically thrilling emotions and which play an important role in contributing to the health of ecosystem, have an interesting
A Ukraine tourist and his Sri Lankan guide were taken into custody by Wildlife Conservation officials in Minneriya for allegedly collecting butterflies and several species of other insects endemic to Sri Lanka. The officials carried out the raid on information from the public and arrested the suspects who were catching …
FlutterBy: European butterflies might face extinction if global temperatures continue to rise as predicted over the next 70 years, a new study said. In the worst-case scenario, 95 per cent of the land will become too warm for 70 butterfly species if the average temperatures rise by 4.1o C by …
KOKRAJHAR, Dec 19: Hundreds of butterflies of different varieties are being killed due to vehicular movement at Bismuri-Sarpang (Bhutan) Road daily, which pass through the thick Chirang Reserve Forest in Kokrajhar district, but no measures has been adopted to protect the varied species of butterflies. Kushal Choudhury of Kokrajhar Science …
Prize Catch * The Eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats are prime hunting grounds for smugglers of rare Indian butterflies and beetles * They're in demand internationally for private collections, butterfly parks, traditional medicine, and also to be encased into jewellery * Among the sought-after species are: Pale Jezebel, Banded Apollo …
YOU'LL be glad to know that in the concrete jungle of Mumbai, some beautiful creatures are giving children something to smile about. In spite of the ever-increasing air and chemical pollution, the butterfly population has seemingly increased by 3 percent in Mumbai. There are 150 species of butterflies found in …
Bald eagles, wolves, snails, butterflies and many other species native to the US have long been at risk. Many have made it on to the country's endangered species list, but not under the Bush administration over the last two years. Conservation groups claim that Bush appointees have been deliberately making …
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) here has taken up a project for setting up a butterfly park-cum-garden with insect museum at Arignar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur, 40 km from Chennai. The idea behind the project, sanctioned by the Department of Tourism and Culture, Tamil Nadu, was to generate …
JAMSHEDPUR: Colourful and refreshing, the Butterfly Park set up by the Tata Steel Zoological Society, here, the first in the eastern region, has become the cynosure of all eyes. The species on display were the Plain Tiger, Lime Butterfly, Commander and Lemon Pansy, while those like the Common Emigrant, Common …
you see a lot of butterflies hovering around coffee plantations. The reason is the plantations have scattered stands of trees for shade. And a change in ecology can affect their numbers. Over the past five years, the native trees in the coffee plantations at Chikmagalur in Karnataka have been replaced …
Butterflies in the Andaman archipelago have been facing colonisation. The carrier of the colonists was the 2004 tsunami which brought three foreign species of butterflies to the islands, threatening its fragile ecology. Of the three species, two, Danias melanipus camorta and Anitilope anomala, are endemic subspecies from the Nicobar group …
In situ propagation of butterflies was attempted through establishment of a butterfly garden in a 0.5 ha degraded moist deciduous forest patch at the Kerala Forest Research Institute campus at Peechi, Kerala. Creation of butterfly habitats through landscaping and introduction of suuitable host plants to sustain different species of butterflies …
