Call for dedicated butterfly park in Alagarkovil

Madurai: During the Butterfly Month celebration at American College on Tuesday, butterfly enthusiasts and entomologists advocated for establishing a butterfly park in the Alagarkovil area. The event, titled ‘Butterfly & Green Initiatives,' was organized by the college's PG and research departments of economics and zoology, highlighting the region's rich butterfly diversity.
Dr M Swamiappan, retired professor of entomology from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, served as the chief guest. He stressed the need for a dedicated butterfly park in Madurai's Alagarkovil region, urging the district administration and forest department to recognize the area's biodiversity. "Our community must advocate for this initiative," Dr Swamiappan said.
C Muthuraja, associate professor and head of the economics department, highlighted the absence of a museum to document and preserve Madurai's butterfly species, emphasizing the importance of proper documentation for the region's biodiversity.
A recent survey by American College students recorded 39 butterfly species across both campuses. These included eight species of Pieridae, ten species of Papilionidae, fifteen species of Nymphalidae, four species of Lycaenidae, and two species from the Hesperiidae family. The Common Nawab, Southern Birdwing, and Common Banded Peacock were recorded for the first time.
The event also included a butterfly photography competition for students, with the best photographs to be announced on Friday. The event was attended by Dr P Velladurai, associate professor and UG head of the PG & research department of zoology, E Joy Sharmila, associate professor and PG head, and American College principal Dr M Davamani Christober.