The green city of Chandigarh has become home to many rare species of butterflies. A rare species—Tawny Coster butterfly— was spotted for the first time in Chandigarh on Wednesday. Categorised rare in the City Beautiful, Tawny Coster was spotted by UT Forest-Cum-Wildlife Department photographer and lepidopterologist Kulbhushan Kanwar at regulator end of the Sukhna lake here.
Tawny Coster scientifically known as Acraea terpsicore, having a wingspan of 50-65 mm is found in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri lanka. The most fascinating feature of this butterfly is its ability to play dead when caught and exudes obnoxious yellowish fluid from glands in the joints of the legs. Also, Tawny Coster is distasteful to the predators.
lepidopterologist Kulbhushan Kanwar said “During my research on butterflies, I had spotted Tawny Coster in Madhya Pradesh two years back and in Kerala during last year”.
The butterfly categorised as rare in Chandigarh was spotted at the regulator end of Sukhna lake on Wednesday.
He said, “It is seen throughout the year at the places it is generally found. It prefers open country grassland, scrub, forest paths and gardens. The butterfly’s upper side is red with wings bordered black.
“Upper fore-wing has thin dark border whereas the border in hind-wing is with white spots. It’s larval food plant is Aporosa lindleyana, Adenia hondala, Modecca palmata, Passiflora spp. Tawny Coster butterfly has slow but fluttering flight not much high on the ground.”
He continued to say, “This is a new finding during my research work in Chandigarh since 2007. Previously also, many rare species including Common Onyx, Common Palmfly, Angled Sunbeam among others have been seen and clicked in the city”.
The City Beautiful is a home to more than 100 species of butterflies including some rare butterfly species.
There are many butterfly species namely Common Mormon, lime, Common Rose, Mottled Emigrant, Common leopard, Green-Veined White and Common Jay which are commonly spotted in Chandigarh.
Also, as many as 45 butterfly species are sighted at the Butterfly Park in Sector 26 here. The UT Forest and Wildlife Department has planted more than 50 species of host plants and various nectar plants for development of the Butterfly Park which is very congenial for butterflies’ habitat.
The park spreads over an area of 7 acres with a meticulous landscaping. A state-of-the-art glass house to keep various species of winged beauties has also been constructed at the Butterfly Park and natural environment has been created in the glass house by setting up artificial waterfall, rocks and pathways.
Various plants which attract butterflies for breeding, is being grown in the glass house. The host plants includes citrus, capparis, alvizia levveck and bael, that are the favourite dwelling units of lime, tiger, pioneer copper, common mormon butterflies among others.