Studies on migration patterns of milkweed butterflies

Studies on migration patterns of milkweed butterflies

Subject: Environment

Section: species in news

Context: Studies on migration patterns of milkweed butterflies and their feeding habits can help protect them, say researchers

More on the Research Findings:

• Millions of Milkweed butterflies undertake a migration between the Eastern and Western Ghats in southern India, seeking refuge from the harsh summer.
• This spectacular ecological phenomenon had been recorded more than a century ago but received little research and conservation attention until recently.
• However, a recent study by a team of researchers shed light on the migration patterns of Milkweed butterflies in southern India, which has the potential to contribute to the conservation of these butterflies and their migration in the face of ongoing changes in land use, habitat degradation, and climate warming.
• The study was published in the recent issue of the Journal of Insect Conservation.
• After southwest monsoon, Milkweed butterflies migrate westward from the Eastern Ghats and plains to the Western Ghats, becoming active for more than two months upon their arrival.
• Between October and April, most of the Milkweed butterflies in the Western Ghats congregate in large numbers at specific sites during winter and dry seasons. When the summer rain cools southern India, the butterflies migrate eastwards into the Eastern Ghats and the plains.
• The studies reveal that the wings of the majority of butterflies during their eastward journey are battered than that in the westward migration.
• Also, the researchers found that the dominant species involved in the migration, Dark blue tiger and Double-branded crow, are not found breeding in the mid and high-altitude evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of the Western Ghats.
• The migration of Milkweed butterflies also plays a vital ecological role during the migration. As pollinators, their movements can impact entire ecosy
• Their migration is threatened by habitat destruction and climate change.
• Studying their migration patterns and feeding habits can impart the interconnectedness of plant and animal life. By unravelling the mysteries of their migration, can help protect these beautiful creatures and the ecosystems they inhabit.

Milkweed Butterflies:

• They are any of a group of butterflies in the brush-footed butterfly family (Nymphalidae).
• There are some 300 species in the group, including the iconic Monarch butterfly.
• Distribution:
  • The majority of species are found in both Old and New World tropics (Old World refers to Europe, Africa, and Asia, while New World refers to North America, South America, and the Caribbean).
  • However, some well-known members of the group, such as the monarch butterfly and the queen butterfly, live in temperate regions.
• Features:
  • The large, colourful adults have long, usually brownish or orange wings marked by black-and-white patterns.
  • They fly slowly, and some, such as the monarch butterfly, migrate great distances.
  • They feed chiefly on milkweed and sometimes on nightshade.
  • These plants contain acrid, milky juices that probably make the larva and its subsequent stages distasteful to predators. This, combined with a conspicuous colouration, protects them.