Since childhood, I have been very fascinated towards the creatures that exist and ever existed on our planet. My affinity towards animals was kindled by a TV show on National Geographic titled 'Dangerous Encounters' hosted by Brady Barr. His craze for Reptiles was inspirational for me and that was the moment when I decided to pursue my career in studying reptiles. But there is another story about how I found my interest in butterflies.
Last year during the late monsoon, I observed an atypical behaviour of a caterpillar which startled me. The caterpillar was feeding on the leaves by invading the epidermal layers of the leaves. This was the first time I encountered such behaviour as all caterpillars I had seen up till then fed on leaves externally. I discussed it with my teacher and read about it and found that the caterpillar belongs to the species of butterfly called 'Red Pierrot'( Talicada nyseus). Caterpillars of this species have acquired such behaviour to disguise themselves from predators like birds. This was the triggering point in my life which made me more curious about butterflies.
Red Pierrot is a tiny species of butterfly which belongs to the family Lycaenidae, the second-largest family of Butterflies. This species has a wingspan of 30 to 35 mm. On the upperside, it is black except at the tip of the hindwings with an orange-coloured patch. On the underside at the base of both wings, it is white with black spots. At the tip of the forewing, it is black with white spots while on the hindwings tip is orange with white spots. This species of butterfly hosts a plant which is scientifically known as Kalanchoe pinnata. It is commonly known as Miracle Leaf or Air Plant. It is a perennial succulent plant native to Madagascar. Many vegetative buds on the leaf margins are present which help in vegetative propagation. This plant contains various glycosides which can cause cardiac poisoning in grazing animals. Traditionally the juice of the leaves of this plant has been used to cure kidney stones, but scientists are still searching for scientific evidence for it. In temperate regions, it is used as an ornamental plant.
As Kalanchoe pinnata was growing in front of the Botany Department of our college(Fergusson College) it was easily possible for me to observe the Life Cycle of the Red Pierrot on a daily basis. I observed their life cycle from September to mid-December which is more than a 3 months time period. During this period, I acknowledged many aspects of the life of this butterfly species. I observed that during monsoon, the population of the species was increasing exponentially high. While after the end monsoon (in early winter), the population of the species dropped drastically. It was very similar to the foliage of Deciduous forests as trees lose their leaves after each growing season. The conclusion that I came with was "Environmental factors like temperature and humidity affect the physiological processes of these insects which hamper their growth and development." In addition, there were a few other factors that affected the Red Pierrot population. First was heavy rainfall. The continuous splashing of rainwater on the ground can cause K.pinnata leaves to flush out the eggs while larvae and pupa can have a fungal infection due to wetness. During rainfall, like other butterflies, Red Pierrot adult avoids flying and find shelter.
The second factor was predation. For maintaining a balanced ecosystem in an area, the presence of few predators is essential as they will keep the population of prey under control. In the case of the Red Pierrot, predators change according to the stages of their life. At the egg stage, insectivorous bugs might feed on them. At the larval and pupal stages spiders, ants and birds come into the picture. However, during my 3+ months of observations, I recorded only a single spider predating a cocoon. The spider species was Hyllus semicupreus which is commonly known as Heavy-bodied Jumping Spider. Phintella vittata, another spider species of spider was also active in the area but this species was not detected as a predator of the Red Pierrot. At the adult stage, predators that feed on the Red Pierrots are mostly birds and wasps. I had many experiences while observing Red Pierrot that kept me motivated for working constantly. The most heart-warming experience for me to witness was the emergence of the butterfly from its cocoon which is called 'Eclosion'. It was my first ever experience of witnessing an Eclosion. That was the moment when I realized that 'There is a deep ocean under the top surface that I didn't explore till now'.Slowly I started to learn about other butterfly species which were fluttering around our campus. It assisted me to understand that there is a Great Diversity of butterflies and other creatures which are still unknown to me and I'm continuously putting my efforts to acquire that knowledge.
Every story does not end with joy, sometimes it ends with sorrow. It was the 3rd week of January, the whole college was busy with preparation for the Annual College Fest. The third-year Botany students uprooted most of the patch of Kalanchoe pinnata for decorating the department and its premises. Yes! The host plant of the Red Pierrot was no more. No doubt this impacted the Red Pierrot population utterly. When the fest ended, about 2 weeks after the uprooting, I visited that area again but the scenario was not so good. I didn't see the Red Pierrot again there, no larva, no pupa, no adults and not even eggs. It was very disheartening for me at that time but I accepted the reality that it's all gone for now. It might return again next year or in a few months. Possibilities are endless that's why I won't lose hope. The Red Pierrot will be back again. I'm very grateful to be introduced to the Red Pierrot. It taught me four lessons that will be helpful for me for my entire life:
1. Make your own way of dealing with any difficult situation
2. Resting phase is a preparatory phase for reaching greater heights
3. Be patient, you will find better results
4. Process is more significant than the results
~Chinmay Bhoyar
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