Pune is set to celebrate Big Butterfly Month this September. Nature groups, citizen scientists, photographers, and butterfly enthusiasts are mobilizing to document the city’s diverse butterfly population. This initiative aims to highlight the ecological significance of these insects and promote awareness of their conservation.
In 2024, there were 4,200 butterfly observations and 140 species reported during Sept. In 2025, there was a slight dip, with 3,500 observations and 137 species recorded due to prolonged rains and cloudy weather, which is unfavourable for butterfly watching. Many species, such as the Blue Tiger and Common Lime, have delayed their breeding activities due to the late monsoon.
This year, we have identified more butterfly-spotting zones, so we expect the counts to be higher,” said Rajat Joshi, a butterfly expert and Pune district coordinator of Big Butterfly Month. However, we expect a lot of sightings later this month,” said Dr Ankur Patwardhan, founder of Ecoreviva Nature Foundation. “Butterfly numbers might increase if we have longer spells of sunlight in Sept. Enthusiasts are particularly looking forward to walks at locations such as the Pune Forest Research office and the Ram-Mula River confluence, among others. “The Butterfly Month has helped generate a lot of awareness. We will continue nectar and colour preference studies this season. With the rains reducing, there will be an increase in sightings.
We have also increased the number of host plants,” said Amol Nargolkar, who runs Sipna Farms, a 21-acre private sanctuary located 22km from Pune. The month-long initiative will feature guided butterfly walks, species surveys, photography sessions and awareness activities across the city’s hills, gardens, campuses and surrounding habitats, turning everyday green spaces into hotspots for observation and recording. “We will be organising two to three guided butterfly walks next month. We are already seeing an abundance of species such as the Common Tiger and Red Pierrot.