SHORT COMMUNICATION

Roadkill Incidents of Butterflies on National Highway 130C in Gariaband District, Chhattisgarh, India

H. N. Tandan¹*, Swati Tandan²

¹Department of Zoology, S.G.G. Govt. P.G. College, Kurud, Chhattisgarh 493663, India.

²Govt. H.S.S. Anwari, Chhattisgarh, 493663, India.

*Corresponding Author Email- tandanhn79@gmail.com

Introduction

Accidentally, road kill incidents of butterflies were observed on NH 130C in the Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh. The observation occurred during a journey from Raipur to Deobhog along National Highway 130C (coordinates 20.6011N-82.0808E) on May 24, 2023, between 09:57 am and 10:51 am. Covering a distance of 1.5 km in 53 minutes, this observation coincided with the migration of butterflies along the same highway. This particular migration event might have been driven by the pre-monsoon season and occurred in a localized area (Bhaumik & Kunte, 2018) may be conceder as dispersion.

Gariaband district in Chhattisgarh, India, is renowned for its lush green forests and abundant natural beauty. The district's forest cover consists of a diverse range of tree species, providing a habitat for wildlife and supporting local communities. The forests in Gariaband exhibit a mix of tropical and deciduous forests, housing various wildlife species. The district's forest cover showcases a remarkable variety of tree species, including Teak, Saal, and Mahua, among others. These forests also contribute to maintaining ecological balance, preserving soil quality, and conserving water resources. The Gariaband district has the Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary, which forms a part of the Udanti – Sitanadi Tiger Reserve.

Materials and Methods

Fig. 1: Site of observation

Result and Discussion

Among the recorded 171 dead individuals of butterflies, the most dominant species was Papilio demoleus - Common Lime, with a count of 151 individuals. It was followed by Catopsilia pyranthe - Lemon Emigrant, with 15 individuals observed. Phalantha phalantha - Common Leopard, was recorded with only two individuals. Junonia lemonias - Lemon Pansy, Moduza procris - Commander, and Euploea core - Common Crow, each had a solitary individual observed.

Roadkill incidents in wildlife areas can have significant implications for local ecosystems and wildlife population. Roadkill in wildlife areas can result in the direct mortality of various animal species, (Santos, et al., 2011). It can disrupt population dynamics, decrease genetic diversity, and even lead to local extinctions of vulnerable or slow-reproducing species (Forman, et al., 2003). Roads and highways that cross through or near wildlife areas can fragment habitats, limiting animal’s movements and access to resources which can increase the risk of roadkill incidents as animals attempt to cross roads to reach feeding grounds, breeding sites, or suitable habitat patches (Cabaneros, et al., 2011). Roads in forest covers or patches are environmentally challenging (Laurance et al., 2001), and it can pose substantial  threats  to  the movement  of  local  wildlife  when  they  pass  through  protected areas (Gokula 1997; Selvan 2011).

Reports have documented studies indicating that the expansion of road networks in India may pose a threat to wild animals through an increase in roadkills (Dubey 1999; Behera 2008; Vyas & Upadhyay 2014; Adhikari et al. 2019) but only a limited number of studies have been conducted in India to investigate the issue of butterfly mortality on roads (Rao et al., 2007). No records documenting butterfly roadkill incidents in Chhattisgarh have been found till now. Our observation unveiled a dispersal or local migratory behavior in butterflies as they flew back and forth between the North and the South. This bidirectional movement seemed to be influenced by the presence of mud-puddling spots on both sides of the road, acting as significant attractions for these migrating butterflies. However, during their journey across the road, unfortunate incidents occurred where the butterflies were unintentionally killed by vehicles traveling at high speeds. Moreover, the butterflies faced challenges due to the high temperatures, which disrupted their flight capabilities, leading to struggles and falls to the ground.

Image 1: Papilio demoleus                        Image 2:   Catopsilia pyranthe

Image 3: Phalanta phalantha    Image 4: Moduza procris

 Image 5: Junonia lemonias          Image 6: Euploea core

Observation:

A total of 171 dead individual butterflies from 6 different species were photographed (Table – 1).

Table -1: Roadkill Butterflies recorded in NH-130C, Gariaband, Chhattisgarh, India, on 24.v.2023.