Majority of butterfly eggs in dome infected, says Bannerghatta park

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: A survey conducted inside a dome at the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) revealed that anywhere between 70 and 80 per cent of the butterfly eggs in the space had been infected with parasitoids and ants.

A parasitoid is an insect whose larvae live as parasites and eventually kill their hosts. Senior entomologist at the Butterfly park at the BBP Lokanath V made the observations in his report.

Entomology is the study of insects. “In the conservatory dome, up to 70 to 80 percent of butterfly eggs are affected by parasitoids and ants. I requested / guided lab assistants and dome maintainers to save the butterflies from natural enemies,” he said.

It is to be noted that back in September, park authorities had released 8,671 adult butterflies into the dome. Meanwhile, in the breeding centre, the most populous species in the Common Mormon butterfly numbering 6,532, followed by the common Lime at 1,013 and Common Castor at 954.

Other species were far less common with the Blue Mormon population standing at 89 and only 21 Blue Tigers.

“Food source for common Mormon / Lime is more available in the safari region. Butterflies prefer to lay eggs on specific plants, after hatched caterpillars feed on their host plants, we have a separate host plant garden for caterpillar food,” Lokanath said.

He added that in the breeding centre, the priority was now to increase the numbers of plain tiger and grass yellow butterflies.

“Now their egg percentage and larval density is increasing in the laboratory. Soon we will release more in the dome,” the entomologist added.