“Delivering” a butterfly

The miracles and drama in nature are abundant and everywhere, even in the heart of a busy city. If only we have the eyes and the soul for it...

Animal rescue is not always a matter of birds and mammals…today, we assisted in a difficult birth, and hope we saved a life which would otherwise have ended.

In the case of mammals, we talk about “breech birth”, where the head is not delivered or brought out to the outside world first, and where, consequently, complications develop.

As we were doing a butterfly walk in Doresanipalya Forest Research Station on 3rd November ’18, Rohit Girotra called me and showed me how, in emerging from the pupa (a process called eclosing), a Three-spot Grass Yellow had got into a very tough situation.

Awkwardly, the feet and wings had emerged first, leaving the head, antennae and proboscis still trapped inside the pupal case. The half-born creature could not emerge. This was, indeed, the butterfly equivalent of a breech birth.

Rohit gently tried prising the pupal case apart.

and the pupa and the butterfly both detached from the plant on which they were hanging, and fell to the ground. But the head still remained inside the pupal case.

We had two choices: either intervene, or leave things to Nature, and walk on.  However, in this instance, our choice was made clear by the fact that leaving things to Nature meant a certain death for the butterfly. If we intervened, we might damage the head or proboscis, but there was a chance of “delivering” the butterfly. So I took the little creature in my hands, and used my index fingernail very, very gently to pry the pupal case apart.

Success! The head, the antennae, and the proboscis emerged, unhurt. Of course, the wings were still crinkled from being in the pupa; the butterfly had not yet had time to spread the wings and dry them. Another friend, Surabhi, with a gossamer touch, lifted the little creature out of harm’s way on to a small plant.

We walked on, without another look back, feeling that we’d done all that we could have done to ensure the survival of this one little marvel of creation; we still do not know how the butterfly fared.

Just one of the many miniscule dramas one sees on a nature walk, even in the middle of the city!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Bengaluru’s trees must be preserved by its people: K Sankara Rao

In this video interview, the author of 'Trees of Bangalore' discusses the city's rich biodiversity and the need to conserve it.

“I have always been fascinated by trees. This long journey of documenting Bengaluru’s trees was addictive. The more I documented them, the more I wanted to do it,” remarked K Sankara Rao, author of Trees of Bangalore. Rao, a former professor at the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc.), has a long and varied experience in the field of Plant Biology with profound reverence and love for nature. Published in two volumes, Trees of Bangalore is a one-time documentation depicting the rich ecology of Bengaluru and works as a road map for policymakers to preserve this richness. Read…

Similar Story

Bengaluru’s insects and arachnids: How to understand their world and make friends

'Commonly Spotted Insects and Spiders in the City of Bengaluru' is a valuable guidebook for nature enthusiasts.

Would you believe me if I told you that amidst the hustle and bustle of Bengaluru, there’s a whole world of tiny architects, serial killers, woodworkers, and coordinated dancers, each leading very peculiar lives? Their small size often helps them escape detection, but they are hard to miss once you train your eyes to notice them. A new guide, Commonly Spotted Insects and Spiders in the City of Bengaluru, can help you tune in to this fascinating world of many-legged, antennaed and often winged creatures.  And maybe, with the interesting nuggets that the book provides about each animal, you will…