By Nisarga Srinivasa, a student of GSSS Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women, Mysuru.
The legendary Kukkarahalli Lake in Mysuru is a treat to naturalists, as it homes a varieties of wild forms. The lake is a peaceful, fresh and cherishable atmosphere to the people who visit it to take a leisurely walk, meet friends, learn and do birding. The Lake has always been a preferred choice for the birds, mammals, amphibians and insects to exist, breed and grow. There are varieties of flora in the lake surroundings and they are the shelter and food for the life forms there. Many butterfly host plants invite a huge diversity of butterflies every year. Around 85 species of butterflies including the common and rare ones have been recorded in the lake surroundings. And each butterfly species is thriving on variety of host plants which are plenty in numbers. Few well-known common butterflies are--Common wanderer (Pareronia valeria), Common sailor (Neptis hylas ), Red pierrot(Talicada nyseus),Common orangetip (Anthocharis cardamines), Tawny coaster(Acraea terpsicore), Crimson tip(Colotis danae) etc. Rare butterflies include Common Lascar (Pantoporia hordonia), Apefly (Spalgis epeus), Common redeye (Matapa aria) etc. There are many families of butterfly host plants, for example - Bombacaceae, Fabaceae, Icacinaceae, Mimosaceae, Sterculiaceae, Tiliaceae etc.
