Indian Wildlife Club Ezine (November, 2018)

GIVING THEM WINGS TO FLY: BUTTERFLY 
-Mrs Shakti Bishnoi and A.S. Bishnoi

2.Their size ranges from the tiny jewels to gorgeous Bird wings with a wing span as great as eight inches. Almost all Indian butterflies are under threat, and some are critically endangered. Reason being their food plants and nectar plants which are mostly found in the wilderness.  Large areas, once forest or wasteland, full of wild plants that caterpillars eat, have now been cleared for agriculture, besides their habitat loss the widespread use of insecticide has drastically reduced numbers. But a butterfly lover and nature lover finds its way and so did we. We created our own one of a kind ?The butterfly garden?.  We have reared more than 373 of them till date.

 

3.During our brief interaction with Shri Isaac Kehimkar at Oavlekar Wadi(Thane, Mumbai) we were so fascinated by the winged jewels that we thought to have a closer look of these species. Shri Isaac Kehimkar and Sqn Ldr Girish Dantale are our inspiration in this wonderful world of colourful species. 

Our encounter with kingdom of Butterflies

4.During our  stay in Mumbai at Mankhurd( in 2009-11), we thought of having a closer look i.e the life cycle of the butterflies, to appreciate this wonderful creation of God. Book on Butterflies by Isaac Kehimkar was of paramount help to us in knowing their behaviour, but our quest started with finding information on the food plants of different  butterflies. Then we started looking at the food plants, but it seems we were searching needle in hay stack. We narrowed down our search by looking at the caterpillars. The first thing we saw was Lime butterfly laying eggs on lemon plant in our garden. We saw it was just 2 mm spherical white/yellowish ball, underneath the fresh leaf. Fortunately we could capture this phenomenon. Next few days we monitored the egg and witnessed the growth of caterpillar and our joy grew many folds. But nature had something very important in store for us. Around eighth day when we went in the morning to see the beautiful being, we were shocked to see it was eaten by Myna who has positioned herself near a tree. It took us some time to understand law of nature. We decided not to take a chance with the next few eggs left with us. 

5.Very next day we bought some lemon plants from nursery to our home and transferred the freshly erupted caterpillars on it and started monitoring the activities. There was different kind of environment in our home i.e. we both were excited and equally ecstatic to  receive the new born in our family. Very soon it became our family member. We had only one thing to discuss, that was ?the activities of caterpillar?. The life of caterpillar revolved around eating leaves of the lemon plant and excreting. Our prime focus /centre of gravity of house was caterpillar. The life cycle is quite fascinating. We started reading Book on Butterflies to understand their metamorphosis. Nothing was known to us, everything was new and we were quite apprehensive about the behavioural pattern. Rearing blue tiger was quiet a challenge due to its food plant which is wild creeper. Daily we bought  fresh leaves for the caterpillers to our home and cling them on thorns of lime tree. Caterpillers are genetically tuned to the environment they face as there mother`s contribution is to lay them under the fresh blooming food plant leaf. After rupturing they are own their own. Blue tiger food plant is  smooth wild creeper but when we shifted them with few leaves on lime tree they beautifully tuned themselves and without eyes successfully completed their tenure as caterpillar. We reared common mormon, lime butterfly, blue tiger,Memphis Proserpina, danaus plexippus,brown king crow, glassy tiger.  Our lives revolved around the little one. Thereafter when we reached Visakhapatnam, we started our journey with Plain Tiger, and later could manage great mormon. We had only seen the mighty mormon in flight and it came as surprise as we thought the caterpillar resembled common mormon.

Life cycle

6.   During it lifespan, a butterfly undergoes complete metamorphosis, consisting       of four distinct stages: 

(a)Egg

(b)Caterpillar

(c)Pupa 

(d)Adult.

Before the life span begins, it begins with selection of mate, mating, and then egg laying. Here is the sequence:-

Plain tiger(Danus Chrysippus)
Selection of mate, matingand laying egg

EGG

7.Soon after mating, the adult female starts searching for an appropriate food plant to lay eggs. The underneath of fresh leaf  egg is protected from predators, harsh sunlight and soft leaf is gift from their mothers to start there journey.  The number of eggs laid by female numerous for ensuring maximum survival. 

CATERPILLAR

8.It takes 3-5 days to hatch. The caterpillar emerges from the egg, and first thing it eats is the egg shell. Thereafter it just scrapes off the soft bud/under surface of leaf, till it gets his jaws stronger to feed on leaves. It spends much of its time in eating whatever comes its way viz bud, leaves, flower and shoot of the plant. Basically it is eating machine.  

9.Curiosity led to another finding when we touched the caterpillar. To our surprise it had another weapon to show its might and fight the perpetrators. Two tentacles producing pungent liquid. These tentacles emit pungent smell, which acts as deterrent.? And when threatened, they cajole themselves, exposing minimum area for exploitation. 

10.They become restless if they don?t find the food. The urge to get food, makes them adventurous and explorer.  One of the restless/adventurous caterpillar came down the plant and hid behind the TV cabinet. We kept on searching for the 3-4 hours early morning, but all in vain. We started making list of predators who could be available in the protected vicinity of the house and the lizard was on our hit list for the time being. but our house had no trace of lizard, then who else?. So we rejected this hypothesis and with our limited detective traits started searching for the caterpillar. After one day?s extensive search, when we gave up and started praying for its soul to rest in peace the naughty caterpillar came in the limelight no less than an awaited celebrity walking on the TV table. Maybe his hunger drove him outside the cabinet and we made him reach again on the plant like the crowd and photographers pave the path for a glimpse of celeb.  We heaved sigh of relief. 

PUPA

11.   The Caterpillar stage lasts 8days to maximum/depending on weather, food availability and not to forget the predators. It is a hidden development stage and starts with pupation. The stages are,  caterpillar to pupa transition, Pupa and change in color a night before becoming adult.

ADULT

Plain tiger  emerging from Pupa                          

14.First pupa,  we missed butterfly coming out as we were not aware of the phenomena. But in the second case we noticed changes in the pupa night before coming out. But that too we missed. Finally third Pupa gave us opportunity to record the butterfly coming out. And that achievement completed the life cycle recording. 

Our Journey so far

15.So far  our journey from Ovalaker?s Vadi and brief introduction with Shri Isaac Khemkar,  to this day has been studded with winged jewels. Had it not been the encounter with these venerable flying angels, our life would have been less fulfilling. I respect owner?s grit and determination to carry on with the development of one of a kind butterfly garden without any expectations for returns.

16.My deepest regards to Shri Isaac Kehimkar, who besides having seen most of species in  India has to offer, humbly shared his knowledge with us. It was not new for me to see a butterfly with beautiful patterns and colours, but what brought me close to them was their life span. Today when  have helped 373 butterflies to reach for sky, we feel contented. Numbers are adding each day with few species so far quest is on for entire lifetime. This never ending journey taught me many important aspects of life. For each of the species We know their habits and traits by heart which distinguishes them from each other. All of them were like our own young ones whom we nurtured and to our surprise their life cycle resembled ours except that they had to be extremely quick in each stage. Remember, it will never come back to your home again as a pet. Once taken flight no more looking back, just it will search nectar, mate and life cycle follows....

17.They are harmless species. Their existence is endangered and their survival is critical and needs to be protected. Let us start giving life to these species. If one in 10 can nurture one butterfly, the balance in the ecosystem will increase the survival rate of other species. Just wander, search for the eggs in the vicinity of your house (look for the tiny white dots), bring it home along with the food plant leaves and serve them daily. 

Nature is full of miracles with variety of living beings with uniqueness intact whether it is mighty elephant or fragile Lepidoptera. Mother of these young ones does not have time for parenting so, nature has designed them self sufficient. Law of nature is unassailable especially in the wilderness.

Dwarf plants keep planet green

The changes that helped grow more food led to excessive use of fertiliser, says S.Ananthanarayanan.

Modern ways of agriculture held out a promise of unlimited food to feed growing populations. The boom in produce was mainly through high-yielding varieties and massive input of artificial fertiliser. Of fertilisers, however, both production and the run-off, from fields, are proving an environment hazard, which would negate the value of the food produced.

Shan Li, YonghangTian, Kun Wu, Yafeng Ye, Jianping Yu, Jianqing Zhang, Qian Liu, MengyunHu3, Hui Li, Yiping Tong,Nicholas P. Harberd and Xiangdong Fu, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijashuang, China and the University of Oxford, report in the journal, Nature, that there is a relationship between the genetic factors that help a food plant stay short in stature, which helps stability of the plant and its output, and how efficiently the plant assimilates nitrogen from fertilizer. Tinkering with the genetic factors then enables plants to stay short in stature, but still use fertilizer efficiently.

“The green revolution of the 1960s boosted crop yields, and was partly driven by widespread adoption of semi-dwarf green revolution varieties of cereals”, the Nature paper says. The paper explains that semi-dwarfism reduces the flattening of plants by wind and rain, an effect called ‘lodging’, which reduces the grain yield of plants. Semi-dwarfism in plants is because of the growth suppressing protein, DELLA. As plants need to grow, normal plants have a factor, GA, which suppresses DELLA. In semi-dwarf and high yielding plants, DELLA is either resistant to GA or there is low production of GA, the paper says. In both cases, DELLA is able to accumulate and the plant stays short.

Keeping the height of the plant low is also helped by the plant being relatively insensitive to nitrogen. DELLA has the effect of reducing the plants’ growth response to nitrogen. However, “nitrogen allocation to grain continues,” the paper says. With low nitrogen intake in hybrid plants, there is a need to increase the quantity of fertilizer use, so that supply of nitrogen for grain production is not affected. Fertiliser use, however, damages the environment. The production, both in the form of ammonium salts, which are used in anaerobic crops, like rice, or nitrites, which are used with aerobic crops, like wheat, need huge energy for production. This is because ordinary nitrogen, which is abundant in the atmosphere, is of no use for vegetation. Ordinary nitrogen is the molecular form, which is exceedingly stable, a leader among inert substances and difficult for plants to use. Useful nitrogen, which is found in fertilizers, is the reactive, ‘active’ kind and it takes energy to prise the nitrogen molecule apart. This apart, most of the fertilizer that is used is not absorbed by the plant and waste irrigation water contaminates water bodies.

“Development of new Green Revolution Varieties that combine high yields with reduced nitrogen supply is thus an urgent goal for global sustainable agriculture,” authors of the paper say. They hence set out to analyse how these plants integrated the priorities – low stature, plentiful grain production and low nitrogen inputs. A survey of different existing and cross-bred rice varieties and analyses of their genetic composition revealed that the intake of the nitrogen-rich ammonium ion, as well as growth, in response to nitrogen supply, was regulated by the protein, GRF4. GRF4 thus counteracts the growth-repressive effect of the DELLA protein.

Significantly, it was found that GRF4 abundance itself was dependent on low levels of nitrogen. As increasing GRF4 abundance leads to an increase in nitrogen uptake too, this creates a feedback loop – where low levels nitrogen increase GRF4 levels, which increases the nitrogen level, which then restricts the growth of GRF4, leading to a drop in nitrogen levels. A case of “homeostatic coordination of plant nitrogen metabolism, the paper says, “GRF4 is a nitrogen-responsive regulator promoting both ammonia ion uptake and growth in response to nitrogen supply, and counteracting the inhibitory effects of the DELLA protein.”

The group next examined the way that the GRF4 - DELLA protein interaction affected the food producing mechanism, of plants fixing carbon from the air in the presence of sunlight. While GRF4 was found to promote the genes that help photosynthesis, and the DELLA protein restrained them, it was seen that semi-dwarf, green revolution varieties did have higher rates of photosynthesis. The effect of DELLA to suppress growth was reversed, and more, in varieties with GFR4, while keeping the uptake of carbon and nitrogen in the same balance. And finally, it was seen that GFR4 had the effect of increasing grain yield and the efficiency of nitrogen use.

Although long thought to exist,” the paper says, the study has shown the working of GRF4, which regulates multiple nitrogen metabolism genes, with a self-regulating, nitrogen sensitive, feedback mechanism. With an antagonistic relationship with DELLA, a growth repressor, there comes into being a coordinated regulation of plant growth and metabolism, the paper says. And then, “increasing the abundance of GRF4 in green revolution varieties tips the GRF4–DELLA balance to favour GRF4, conferring increases in carbon and nitrogen assimilation, biomass, leaf and stem width, but having little effect on plant height. The practical plant breeding consequence of this is that it enables plants to assimilate nutrients without the loss of the beneficial semi-dwarfism conferred by DELLA accumulation. Nitrogen use economy can thus be improved, without the yield penalties of increased lodging,” the paper says.

In the matter of environmental damage, the Stockholm Resilience Centre names phosphorus and nitrogen flows as planetary boundaries that have already been breached. Methods to keep grain production at the levels that we need, for the growing world population, without aggravating nitrogen use in agriculture is priority

News .......

We are bringing you Wildbytes E-magazine after a gap.  In this edition, we introduce three new authors. 

 

R.Mohan

Mohan is a Chartered and Cost Accountant from Bangalore who wears many hats.  He is a musicologist who runs Anagha Studio,Devanahalli, Bangalore where professional musicians are happy to record their albums.  He can be contacted at

 

akriti53@gmail.com  or  anaghastudio@dataone.in

Vikas Sharma

Vikas runs an ad agency "Sarjana" in Chandigrah. He is also an active member of Chandigarh bird club, an ace photographer.  He can be contacted at sharma.vic80@gmail.com

Mr A.S Bishnoi and Mrs Shakti Bishnoi

 

A S Bishnoi is a Commander in Indian Navy by profession.  He is also an avid bird watcher, ornithologist, has keen interest in gardening, butterflies rearing  and photography.

His Wife Shakti Bishnoi is a Post graduate from London school of business, counsellor, ornithologist, bird watcher and both of them have same interest except profession.

Mr Bishnoi can be contacted at amarjeet_29@yahoo.com

and Views

Pollution levels in North India have been alarming.  The two videos we recently uploaded express our views at the grass root level.

Buy our New Year Calendar to help IndianWildlifeClub, by clicking on the calendar image

My visit to Dudhwa National Park

-R.Mohan

 

When I was young I always had a fascination for jungles and had imagined extensively about visiting jungles.   I had the first chance to be inside a tiger reserve in December 1977 when I visited Wayanad for some work. Though I did not see any tigers or leopards, I was totally thrilled with just seeing the “beware of tigers” sign boards struck on trees, when we entered the Waynad forests. I was awestruck with its thick undergrowth and could sense the presence of wild animals.  We could see an occasional deer or two and their movements in wild were stimulating.  I could understand how difficult it is to spot any wild animal, in such thick undergrowth providing wonderful camouflage.

Later after I passed my CA final exams, I was posted in February 1980 to Sitapur for inspection of State Bank Of India branch there.  When I entered Sitapur from Lucknow, I noticed a big sign board at the entrance of the town, advertising Dudwa National Park. I began imagining my visits to this tiger forest with a fond hope of seeing the great cat in the wild. 

As we went about our chores of inspection of SBI, one day I broached the subject of visiting Dudwa, to the SBI branch Manager Mr. Raj Kumar who was non committal about the possibility of such visit. I also did not bother to push my request.

During the course of inspection, it was felt that we may have to visit the SBI branch in Chandanchowki for some confirmation as required by inspection.  Hence Mr. Raj Kumar arranged for a jeep to visit SBI Chandanchowki branch which is 10 kms inside Dudwa National Park close to Nepal border.

We started around 6 am in the morning from Sitapur and I was delighted with the prospect of being in thick jungles about which I had only read and dreamed about.

 

Dudwa is a good four to five hours way from Sitapur by road.  We reached Lakhim Pur Kheri and then Hargaon. It was then we crossed Sharada River. There were no bridges at that time to cross this river and one tried to cross where the river is not deep. It was quite cloudy by that time. The driver was a bit nervous as we were crossing the river, there may be flash floods which comes quite suddenly. However there were no flash floods and we crossed the river and reached Palia, about 25 kms before Dudwa National Park entrance gate. I was very surprised to see wheat fields just like the ones you see In Punjab and it was beautiful. Later I learnt a lot of farmers from Punjab have settled there in that area and brought their farm skills to make that area bloom with wonderful wheat fields. 

We reached the entrance of the Dudwa National Park and we met the forest officers who gave us directions to reach the SBI branch in Chandanchowki. I was nervous and thrilled to be in the canopy of very thick forest having some really tall trees. We came across a fork road leading in two directions and we were not sure which way we had to take to the branch. The driver stopped the vehicle and we all got out of the jeep to stretch ourselves and feel the jungle.

I walked some 100 feet from the jeep in the forest just to feel the forest. Just then the driver switched off the engine of the jeep and got out to check some persons for directions.  I was suddenly engulfed in a most powerful silence I have ever experienced in my life. My entire body became very alert and my ears were straining to hear any noise in the forest. It was very remarkable feeling of awareness.  I was rudely shaken from eerie silence when clutter of a leaf falling just behind me and this  shook me up completely.  I could never imagine a simple fall of a dried leaf can create so much impact.  It was my first experience of jungle in my life and has created a tremendous impact in me to understand and appreciate silence in every form of communication including music.

Later we reached the SBI branch at Chandanchowki which is situated near a tribal area called ‘Tharu’. The premises of the branch were small and only three persons were posted there; branch manager, an accountant and a security person with a double barrel gun.

As soon as we reached the branch, the manager requested us to make ourselves comfortable with what was available there. Then after some thoughts, he requested us for our vehicle to get some tea and sweets. We requested our driver to help him. When we had our tea and sweets, the branch manager informed us that he had sent the Jeep across the Nepal border which is just one or two kilometers away from the branch to get us tea and sweets.  I was feeling very funny to savor imported hot tea and sweets from across the border.

After the niceties were over, the branch Manager sheepishly asked for some ball pens and stationery. I was a bit surprised. I was always under the impression that such requests are made by the inspectors or auditors. I have not come across such a request from an auditee. I was quite amused and we collected some ball pens between ourselves and handed them over to the branch staff.

Then the story unfolded. The previous night the branch manager had to go to meet his family in Palia around 35 kms from the branch. He went in the motor cycle ably assisted by the gun man.  When they were returning in the evening through the jungle, they found a herd of elephants blocking the road. Hence they had to wait for several hours before these elephants left. They reached the branch well past midnight.  During their ordeal with the elephants elsewhere in the jungle,  some small time dacoits riding bicycles ( Not riding  horses as they show in films), who had raided the nearby village and were scooting to Nepal , saw the SBI branch . They decided to try their hand looting the branch as well. They were confronted by the part time night watchman, whose resistance was promptly and efficiently brushed aside. When they entered the premises they were dismayed about not being able to lay hand on cash and other valuables which were kept in a chest which was locked overnight. Then they checked for some valuables but had to be content with looting some stationery items like paper weights, pencils, scales and ball pens. This they did and on the way back to their cycles along with the loot, they gave some tight slaps as well to the part time watchman. The watch man pleaded that he can do nothing about cash that has been closed and he had co-operated by allowing them to loot the stationery items and hence he should be spared. However even dacoits have their fair sense of karma and fair play. They told him that without some effort they are not supposed to take anything and enjoy the benefits as the same will not stick with them. Hence to do the effort (parishram), they had necessarily to beat somebody even though he might have looked the other way and not confronted them. The watchman requested them to allow him to have at least a torch so that he can find his whereabouts in the dark; which they allowed. Now we understood why the branch manger requested us for some ball pens.

After we finished our task for which we had visited SBI Chandanchowki, we made some visits into the jungle in our jeep with a forest guard arranged by the branch manager. It was really thrilling to be amidst very lush undergrowth and tall trees. I certainly felt good to see a group of Barasinghas which made me feel very nice.  I was told by local Tharus, that it is easy to spot a tiger which crosses the road very close to the branch around late evenings. However our driver was not amused and he wanted to be back in Sitapur by night and did not want an experience of facing elephants blocking the road.

 

We also visited a dwelling of Tharu tribal, in Dudwa. I was completely surprised at the cleanliness of their dwelling. The kitchen utensils were spotlessly clean and were gleaming in sunlight. I was informed that they simply use river sand for cleaning their utensils which removes the grime and oil in the utensils leave them sparkling. The entire area of their dwelling was litter free and it was a great lesson in hygiene to me. I was certainly reminded of my visit to a local tribal area in Waynad, where I found them spotlessly clean and their small huts were clean and they were dressed immaculately. I somehow felt that we have to learn a lot from them as they were in sync with Mother Nature and have an understanding and insight beyond city dwellers about health, hygiene and laws of Nature.

I had to be content with sighting of Chitals and Barasinghas in Dudwa and reluctantly returned to Sitapur. The experience of going through the jungle left a great impression on me. It never mattered to me that I could not spot the great cat. At least I could understand how tough it is to watch it in its natural habitat and that is an experience and lesson of life in itself. When we returned, the wheat fields near Palia glowed in gold in the sunset and that was an experience to behold. 

(R.Mohan is a chartered accountant based in Bangalore and can be contacted at 

akriti53@gmail.com)