A colourful insect feeding on nectar from a flower caught the attention of Ramanasaran Hari, a second year B. Pharm student from Vadavalli, as he got down from a bus in front of his college at Othakalamandapam on June 7.
A member of Tamil Nadu Butterfly Society (TNBS), Mr. Hari did not have a second thought to identify the insect as Painted Lady ( Vanessa cardui), a long distance migrant butterfly species belonging to Nymphalidae family.
“The first Painted Lady was spotted around 8.30 a.m. In five to 10 minutes, I saw more of the species swiftly moving towards the north-east direction. In two-and-a-half hours, more than 200 Painted Lady butterflies were sighted, movement of which was towards Tiruppur,” said Mr. Hari.
Movement of Painted Lady was reported by butterfly enthusiasts in Kerala before the sighting was recorded by Mr. Hari in Coimbatore.
According to A. Pavendhan of TNBS, though migration of Painted Lady was reported in previous years, the sighting at Othakalamandapam was the largest recorded in Tamil Nadu in the last several years.
“The sighting in Coimbatore comes as a surprise as very few Painted Lady butterflies were recorded in districts such as the Nilgiris, Tiruppur, Erode and Madurai. The species, which is seen in most parts of the globe, largely breeds in higher elevations. Compared to other butterfly species, spotting Painted Lady is not easy as they fly high and move faster,” he said. Painted Lady is considered as one of the most adaptable butterfly as it has more than 300 host plants. Its breeding has been recorded at Anaikatti Hills in Coimbatore.
Indian red admiral ( Vanessa indica ) is another species that is a close match of Painted Lady. It also largely breeds in higher elevations.
Mr. Pavendhan said that the migratory pattern of Painted Lady in India is yet to be studied scientifically, though they are believed to enter the country from North Western side.
He added that Kalesh Sadasivan of Travancore Natural History Society, who played a key role in forming a WhatsApp group called ‘Butterfly Migration India' that has butterfly enthusiasts as members from all States, was coordinating activities to track the movement of Painted Lady in Kerala.
