Biodiversity · Wildlife

Butterflies & insects

From India's largest butterfly to clouds of tree nymphs drifting through swamp forest, the hills behind Honavar are alive with insects.

173butterfly species in the Sharavathi Valley sanctuary

134butterflies in the Sharavathi River basin

122beetle species in the basin

140–190 mmwingspan of the southern birdwing

Butterflies to look for

Southern birdwing

Troides minos

India's largest butterfly, with black and golden-yellow wings up to 19 cm across. Declared Karnataka's state butterfly in 2017.

Photo: Arjun art, CC BY 4.0

Malabar tree nymph

Idea malabarica

A large, slow-flying black and white butterfly of evergreen forest. It gathers in Myristica swamps in Uttara Kannada.

Photo: Afsarnayakkan, CC BY-SA 4.0

What the surveys found

Surveys in the old Sharavathi Valley sanctuary recorded 173 butterfly species in five families. IISc counted 134 in the wider Sharavathi River basin and 109 in five Myristica swamps of the Honavar and Siddapur taluks. The basin also has 122 recorded beetle species.

Dragonflies and damselflies are less studied. The swamps hold at least six damselflies, including the Myristica sapphire (Phylloneura westermanni), a damselfly tied to these swamp forests.

When and where

Butterflies are most numerous after the monsoon, from September to December. Look along forest edges, streams and flowering shrubs on the jungle trek, at Karikanamma and in home gardens. Do not catch or handle butterflies.

Research behind this page (4)