The Butterfly Park Breeding Centre at the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) released 8,671 butterflies in the conservatory dome for public observation in September.
As per the progress report of Butterfly Park Breeding Centre, eight butterfly species were released in the conservatory dome for public observation and to create awareness about them.
The report states that a majority of the butterflies that were released belonged to the Common Mormon species numbering 6,532 followed by the Common Lime (1,013).
“Common Mormon and Common Lime population is drastically increasing in the breeding centre compared to other species like Common Castor, Blue Mormon, Blue Tiger because food sources for Common Mormon and Common Lime are available in the safari region,” the report stated.
The report said butterflies prefer to lay eggs on specific plants and that hatched caterpillars feed on their host pants. The centre has a separate host plant garden for caterpillar food, it said.
The report said that in the conservatory dome, about 70 to 80 per cent of butterfly eggs are affected by parasitoids and ants and that in the breeding centre, preference has been given to increase the number of Plain Tiger and Grass Yellow butterflies.
It added that its egg percentage and larval density are increasing in the laboratory, and soon, the centre will be releasing more numbers in the dome.
Lack of specific food plants availability in the host plant, protecting eggs, larvae and pupa from parasitoids like Trichogramma, Brachonids, Chalcids, NPV (Virus)/BT infestation on caterpillars, conserving butterflies from spiders, rats, squirrels are among the difficulties faced in the breeding centre, states the report.
