Striped tiger butterfly spotted during a survey at Mangalore University
Angled Pierrot butterfly spotted during a survey at Mangalore University Indigo flash butterfly spotted during a survey at Mangalore University Common mime butterfly spotted during a survey at Mangalore University Malabar Banded Peacock butterfly spotted during a survey at Mangalore University Striped tiger butterfly spotted during a survey at Mangalore University Angled Pierrot butterfly spotted during a survey at Mangalore University Indigo flash butterfly spotted during a survey at Mangalore University Common mime butterfly spotted during a survey at Mangalore University Malabar Banded Peacock butterfly spotted during a survey at Mangalore University Striped tiger butterfly spotted during a survey at Mangalore University Mangaluru: A campus-wide butterfly survey organised by the Mangalore University department of applied zoology as part of Big Butterfly Month 2026 has documented 71 butterfly species across five major families on the campus. Conducted on Sept 17, 18, 24 and 25, the initiative aimed to document butterfly diversity across the university’s green spaces. More than 25 participants joined the exercise, including 20 students pursuing zoology and botany, university alumni and Murali, an IT professional associated with the Bangalore Butterfly Club. The 71-species record offers a valuable baseline for future studies, helping researchers track changes in butterfly diversity and better understand the campus ecosystem over time.
Stay updated with the latest Mangaluru news.
Discussing the findings, Naik said common crows and lineblues were the most frequently observed species across different campus habitats. “Butterflies are good biological indicators, and their presence highlights the excellent environmental indicators and overall health of our campus ecosystem,” he said. The survey was powered by the Campus Biodiversity Register (CBR), a programme managed under the National Conservation Foundation (NCF). Deepak Naik, butterfly researcher and faculty member of the Department of Applied Zoology, led the fieldwork. Their observations helped build a record of the butterfly species found across campus habitats. Among the notable species documented were the redspot duke, striped tiger, common mime and angled pierrot. The team also recorded Western Ghats endemics, including the Malabar banded peacock, Sahyadri birdwing and Tamil yeoman, which are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act. One of the significant findings was the first-ever recording of the Indigo Flash on the university campus. The discovery added a new entry to the campus’s biodiversity records and highlighted the value of systematic field surveys in documenting local wildlife. The findings underline the ecological importance of maintaining green spaces within educational institutions. Beyond documenting species, such surveys provide students with hands-on experience in field research and biodiversity monitoring. Download the TOI App.
