MM: Number of butterfly species at Mahim’s nature park has doubled in the last 2 years: Jan 12, 2009

Miss seeing butterflies of various colours and sizes, flit by your window? Well you no longer need to head to Borivli痴 Sanjay Gandhi National Park to watch nature痴 fragile creation.

Mahim痴 Maharashtra Nature Park (MNP) now attracts as many as 73 species of butterflies. While 1,500 butterfly species have been identified in India, at SGNP 150 species have been spotted.

For the last two years, MNP has been developing a butterfly park on a three acre plot in its premises with funding of Rs 2 lakh from MMRDA. 展e have planted a lot of trees such as the peepal, kadamba, sweet neem to attract butterflies. Over the last two years the number of species has more than doubled. Initially, we had identified 34 species, now we have identified 73,� said Avinash Kubal, deputy director of MNP.

Flowering plants have been planted for nectar and egg-laying. Mud-puddling sites are also being created where butterflies can obtain nutrients like salts. 典he number of butterflies will increase once the work is complete. The park is already attracting a lot of youngsters every day who come to photograph these beautiful creatures,� he added. 

的t is not difficult to attract butterflies and we can all do it by planting a few food plants for catterpillars like lemon, curry leaves, wrightia tinctoria (commonly known as kaala kuda). A few shrubs, herbs and trees are enough to attract 35 to 40 species of butterflies. Urban parks too can develop the same with a control on the use of pesticides,� said Anish Andheria, director of science and natural history of Sancutary Asia.

Butterfly species commonly found in Mumbai are Swallowtail, Common Mormon, Blue Mormon, Tailed Jay, Lime Butterfly, Red Helen, Commander and Common Blue Bottle.

SIGN OF GOOD AIR

釘utterflies are an indicator of good air quality. They communicate with other butterflies through the pheromones, smell they release. This is how they mate. However, in regions where there are a lot of pollutants in the air, the effectiveness of this smell gets lost and it affects their population,� Kubal said, adding, �30 per cent of diseases are airborne. Butterflies not only indicate good air quality but also other characteristics like the temperature and humidity.�

THE MAHARASHTRA NATURE PARK

OPEN FROM: Monday to Saturday between 0930 hrs. and 1800 hrs (Visits are possible on Sundays and public holidays but with prior intimation) Park visitors are provided a guidecum-interpretation facility on request (for which an advance intimation is necessary)

PHONE NUMBER: 4077641/4079939 E-mail: mnps@bom7. vsnl.net.in

WEBSITE: http://www. mmrdamumbai.org/projects_mnp.htm

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