Butterflies
THERE was a specific tree in our garden where caterpillars were in abundance, chewing off leaves and leaving behind tiny black drops.
They were of a beautiful shade of black and blue.
On days where I could escape down the stairs and into the garden without the knowledge of my mother, I would go to that tree, quite happy that it was roughly my tiny height.
As I gleefully circled the tree, I looked at them in awe wishing that I could also be a caterpillar and one day fly my beautiful wings away to explore and consume sweet nectar from flowers.
We also had a lot of flowers and before you knew it when the caterpillars would finish off its butterfly fly cycle; the garden would be full of black and orange butterflies.
I was very eager to witness this cycle so with the help of my sister, we grabbed a jar, stuck leaves inside and set the caterpillar comfortably, we covered the jar with paper and poked tiny holes and left it on our dresser.
Every morning I would wake up and look at this jar and in a matter of days, I saw how it turned into a pupa and later into a stunning butterfly that we had to set free.
It has been quite some time since I last thought of butterflies, in fact it wasn’t until I started noticing how little I would see them around.
I read through previous research done by academic’s on local butterfly species in Fiji, Papilio schmeltzi ,thought to be the only endemic species of Papilio to in Fiji, until the recent discovery of another endemic species, named Papilio natewa, in Fiji.
A Natural History Museum article noted how an ornithologist Greg Kerr while working in Vanua Levu in 2017 photographed a swallowtail butterfly not expecting that he had discovered a ‘species new to science’.
“It has striking black and white zigzags emblazoned on the top or its wings, and a cream and black speckled pattern underneath. All of this is gilded with soft yellows and blue eye spots,” the article stated.
“The new swallowtail is a big butterfly, recognizable from a distance. There were previously only two swallowtail butterflies known from the region, endemic to Fiji and Samoa. Both are large but dull in appearance.”
According to a research survey under Operation Wallacea Fiji done by Lepidopterists Visheshni Chandra and Clive Huggins in 2019 across the Natewa Peninsula, a total of 230 butterflies were collected from a conservative number of 25 butterfly species.
Fiji is thought to have around 47 species of butterflies which require careful conservation methods.
In 2021, Friend of the Earth, an initiative of the World Sustainability Organisation (WSO) , launched the Global Butterflies Census to raise awareness on butterflies and moths.
Since then, they continue to call citizens worldwide to participate in this census to save the world’s unique biodiversity.
In a recent statement, WSO shared how this initiative was part of a strategy to help stop the dramatic decline and to gather vital information to design butterfly conservation measures.
“Butterflies have an extraordinary power over us, for centuries these delicate and colouful creatures have enchanted us with their beauty,” the organisation said.
“Sadly, in recent times, butterflies and moths’ populations have plummeted to the point that numerous species could disappear from the face of the earth.
“These insects hold the key to understanding the consequences of climate change and the impact of human activities on the environment.”
WSO says there are over 230,000 species of butterflies and moths worldwide and due to their distinct fragility, these species are easily affected by the slightest changes in the environment.
“Butterflies and moths have been deeply impacted by a warming climate and habitat loss due to human activities, particularly non-sustainable agricultural development, with the widespread use of pesticides and chemicals.
“According to Butterfly Conservation, 3/4 of the United Kingdom’s butterflies are in decline. The 56 species in Britain and Ireland are considered under threat due to environmental change,” WSO says.
“The Monarch butterfly, maybe the most iconic species, has declined by 99 percent in the past 40 years.
“The IUCN has designated the Monarchs’ migration, from Canada and the north of the United States to southern lands, as a threatened phenomenon.”
The organisation stated in Australia 26 of their butterfly species are at significant risk of extinction.
Friend of the Earth encourages everyone to be involved by two simple moves, taking a close picture of the butterfly or moth without disturbing and sending it by WhatsApp message (+39 351 2522520) with coordinates of your position.
“The information will help produce statistics shared with scientists to design and implement conservation measures.” . . .