Whispers of the morning sky,
Dancing where the flowers lie,
Wings that shimmer, soft as light,
Tracing arcs of pure delight.
Butterflies and Moths have long been admired by adults and kids alike. Kids love to run after them or even their relatives – Moths, Dragonflies & Damselflies. Most butterflies are brightly coloured with beautiful patterns, making them a photographer’s delight. With NCR’s sub-tropical climate, we are blessed to have a great variety of butterflies around us.
September is the month when you can spot most species in abundance in our region. Delhi celebrates Butterfly Month in September as part of Big Butterfly Month, a global citizen science program that aims to raise awareness about the declining butterfly population. The event includes a variety of activities, such as Butterfly counts, Butterfly walks, and Photography competitions. Over the past 10 years, I have seen an increased awareness in urban areas about butterflies, moths, dragonflies and damselflies. More people now identify the species by their common names and try to plant flowers that will attract butterflies and other winged insects.
Watching butterflies is fascinating and therapeutic, and we all can do it. Choose a patch that you keep poison-free, plant the right native plants and let nature do the rest. Grow the plants that will attract butterflies like Lime, Kadi Patta, Marigold, Chrysan the mums etc. and we can savour species like Common Mormon, Plain Danaus, Common Tigers, Yellow Pansies, Danaid egg flies, Red Pierrot, Common Gulls, Great egg flies. Butterflies can turn almost anyone into a naturalist.
Did you know?
1. As of 2022, 76 species of butterflies were counted from various places in NCR.
2. Like birds, butterflies also migrate long distances. You can search Monarch and Painted Lady for their migration details on the internet.
3. Butterflies evolved from Moths. The oldest butterfly fossil is ~55 million years old, from Denmark.
4. The lifecycle of butterflies (egg->caterpillar->chrysalis->butterfly) is one of the most widely studied school projects by kids across the world.
5. Dragonflies and damselflies are indicators of a healthy ecosystem. A single dragonfly can consume up to 100 mosquitoes, which also helps regulate their population naturally.
