Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Butterfly garden to be commissioned in December

Visual treat: Dark blue tiger butterflies aggregating on crotalaria plants at the butterfly garden coming up at Thenmala.

Thiruvananthapuram: The butterfly garden being set up under Thenmala ecotourism initiative, the first planned ecotourism destination in the country, at a cost of Rs.25 lakh will be thrown open to visitors by the end of the year.

Housed behind the musical fountain in the cultural zone, the park is being set up on 2 hectares of forest land handed over by the government to the Thenmala Ecotourism Promotion Society.

The Entomology Department of Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has been entrusted with the job of setting up of the park.

The garden is set up in such a way by the KFRI authorities that the patch of forest has been preserved intact.

In addition to seeing the colourful winged insects at close quarters, the visitors will be able to see Hornbills and other birds in the garden. Children will also be able to see the winged insects in natural habitat.

The entrance to the garden is through a gate modelled on the lines of a giant Ficus tree. It will lead to the Facilitation Centre and Information Centre constructed in Kerala style.

The information centre will have a souvenir shop, office and a display room.

There is a 500-metre-long nature trail on either side of which appropriate butterfly host plants have been planted.

An artificial stream with pebbles and water plants are to be laid to lend a natural touch.

Two major phases exist in the lifecycle of a butterfly – the caterpillar phase which feeds on foliage of specific host plants and adult or butterfly stage which feeds on nectar.

Ixora, Clerodendrum, Mussaenda, Lantana and Cassia are nectar sources for butterflies.

Curry leaf, Citrus, Mussaenda, Cinnamom, Cherry, Ficus, Wattakakka, Tylophora and Aristolochia indica are larval host plants of specific butterfly species.

The planting of the host plants is on in full swing.

“By introducing these host plants, we can attract and sustain butterflies,” says George Mathew, scientist-in-charge (Facility) Entomology Forest Protection Division, KFRI.

Hundreds of Dark Blue Tiger butterflies have started aggregating on Crotalaria plants in the garden.

As many as 30 big models of butterflies with brief description and photographs, a 15-metre-long caterpillar and display boards in rocks are also being set up in the garden.

In addition, three resting points and two make-shift bridges have also been created inside the garden.

“Spotting the butterflies in the open environment will be the added attraction at Thenmala. The works are nearing completion and the garden will be thrown open before the year end,” Director, Ecotourism, T.P. Narayanankutty told The Hindu.

Around 40 species have been spotted in the garden at Thenmala.

The Palmking butterfly, a variety rarely found in the country, was sighted at the Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary by lepidopterists in June. KFRI has already two model parks – on the KFRI campus at Peechi and on the Teak Museum campus, Nilambur.

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