Butterfly farming by Niyati Bhatt

BUTTERFLY FARMING

 By  Niyati Bhatt

Today we live in a rapidly decaying world. From global warming and depletion of the ozone; deforestation, fouled air and water and species extinction; the absence of coherent political leadership and the decay of whole societies in general, the human species is confronting a slew of hugely complex issues. In our incessant quest for food, shelter and the raw materials necessary to maintain our modern economies and lifestyles, our short-term interests are supported at the expense of the long-term viability of our planet.   One of the challenges of our day is to discover and develop industries, economies and even living patterns that minimize the effects of our presence on earth. So why can’t we think of something which not only conserves the nature but also gives a sustainable and diversified income source to the ones based back in villages???

    Why butterfly farming?

An appropriate technology is one that is readily understood by the people who are using it, is environmentally non-destructive, incorporates locally available raw materials, is economically and environmentally sustainable, and is not dehumanizing or degrading to the people who use it. Butterfly farming fits all of these characteristics of an appropriate technology.  If properly undertaken, butterfly farming is an alternative and progressive endeavor with respect to impact on the immediate surroundings to which we and other living organisms depend. In contrast to traditional farming methods in tropical countries which require the clear cutting of natural habitats, butterfly farming is dependent upon the native vegetation.   In most cases, a butterfly farmer is encouraged to keep areas of land (sometimes quite large) in its intact natural vegetation.  At the very least, a farmer must plant a number of native plants in and around the farm which act as a reliable food source for the larvae. Therefore, butterfly farming has an inherent mutual relationship with native plants and the habitats which they create. In addition, butterfly farming contributes to other favorable factors. These would include the generation of rural employment, thereby supporting the rural economy and stemming rural to urban migratory patterns. If placed near a forest, such as a national park, the local human population would not only benefit economically from the park's existence, but would have a stake in the park´s integrity and survival.

   The Farming Process:

In butterfly farming a small netted enclosure is prepared. It is planted with the food plant for the target species of butterfly. A female butterfly is caught and placed in the breeding cage to lay her eggs on the food plant. The freshly laid eggs are harvested by the farmer and placed in a pest free container, where they will hatch after 10 - 14 days. Upon hatching the caterpillars, or larvae, will be transferred to their particular food plant in the farmer's plant nursery. The growing larvae are tended by the farmers until they are ready to pupate, approximately 14 days after hatching. At pupation, larvae attach by their abdomen to a suitable leaf or stick and shed their skin to form the pupae. At this point the pupas are harvested by the farmer to be sold. To ensure sustainability and unnecessary collection from the wild, the farmer will retain a proportion of pupa to provide the next generation of adults for the breeding cage.

     Benefit to the community:

Most types of agriculture in tropical countries require forest clearance and this habitat destruction is a major cause of species extinction. Butterfly farming requires intact forest, thus providing an economic incentive to conserve habitats. As butterflies are bred and reared in enclosures with limited extraction from the wild, farming has a negligible impact on the health of wild populations. Butterfly farming allows the local community to diversify their income generating activities and to work at home around childcare and domestic duties. It also raises awareness among residents and decision makers of the benefits of conservation.

    Butterflies and their larval foodplants:

Butterflies can be attracted to your garden by providing suitable flowers from which they can obtain nectar. Most butterflies can utilize a wide variety of flowers, including those of many cultivated varieties, as nectar sources. However, a more critical need is for the plants that provide food for the larval (caterpillar) stages, and most species will accept only one or a few species of plants at this stage. If a butterfly is found near your area, you can probably attract it and increase its population by planting the correct foodplants for the caterpillars. Although the caterpillars will feed on the leaves of these plants, the damage is usually minor and only temporary. Caterpillars of some species feed on plants that are usually considered weeds, and you can benefit populations of these species by not removing all of the weeds. The following table lists the larval foodplants for most of the butterfly species:

Sr.No:	Butterfly Name:	Foodplant Common Name:
1	Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)	Pipevine
2	Tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)	Willow
3	Anise swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)	Wild Anise, Woolly-fruited Lomatium
4	Giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)	Various citrus species
5	California dogface (Zerene eurydice)	False Indigo
6	Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)	Alfalfa
7	Monarch (Danaus plexippus)	Milkweed
8	Viceroy (Basilarchia archippus)	Willow and Cotton wood
9	Sylvan wood nymph (Cercyonis sthenele silvestris)	Grasses
10	Himalayan Sergeant (Athyma opalina)	Grasses, and Weed plants
11	Behr's Metalmark (Apodemia virgulti)	Buckwheat
12	Indian Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius)	Viola plant
13	Indian Purple Emperor (Mimathyma ambica)	Ulmus
14	Mongol (Araschnia prorsoides)	Urtica angustifolia Fisch
15	Indian Eastern Courtier (Sephisa chandra)	Quercus mongolica Fisch
16	White- Edged Bushbrown (Mycalesis mestra)	Orchid Tree
17	Green Commodore (Sumalia daraxa)	Populus bolleana
18	Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)	Calotropis
19	Blue Glassy Tiger (Tirumala limniace)	Common Rose, and Tylophora flexuosa
20	Himalayan Jester (Symbrenthia hypselis)	Filipendula

	Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
	Tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
	Anise swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
	Giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
	California dogface (Zerene eurydice)
	Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
	Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
	Viceroy (Basilarchia archippus)
	Sylvan wood nymph (Cercyonis sthenele silvestris)
	Himalayan Sergeant (Athyma opalina)
	Behr's Metalmark (Apodemia virgulti)
	Indian Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius)
	Indian Purple Emperor (Mimathyma ambica)
	Mongol (Araschnia prorsoides)
	Indian Eastern Courtier (Sephisa chandra)
	White - Edged Bushbrown (Mycalesis mestra)
	Green Commodore (Sumalia daraxa)
	Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)
	Blue Glassy Tiger (Tirumala limniace)
	Himalayan Jester (Symbrenthia hypselis)

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