Beautiful butterflies

BIKASHKANTI SAHA

Butterflies are important indicators of the health of the ecosystem.

Colours of nature : Beauty at its best. In India, there are about 1,500 varieties of butterflies. The best places to find them are Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Darjeeling and Sikkim, Ladakh, Nilgiris and Nainital.Dwindling numbers

There was a time when there was a roaring trade of butterflies. People, calling themselves research scholars. The local people trapped the butterflies, believing them. The rate per butterfly varied from Rs. 10 to Rs. 1500 per piece.

Butterflies were trapped using the colour trap, the misture trap, the rini and stool trap, the vinegar trap, the illusion trap and finally catpturing them with the use of a net.

Although illegal trade has been stopped, habitat destruction and pollution, the use of chemical pesticides and insecticides have taken their toll.

As a health indicator of the ecosystem, detailed study of this magnificent variety of animal becomes all the more important and demanding.

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