BUTTERFLIES OF KARNATAKA: A CHECKLIST OF KANNADA NAMES
Download a free PDF file of this booklet at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13822310.
The current version is a draft for public consultation. The final version will be published on 1 November 2024, on Karnataka Rajyotsava, after suitable suggestions from the general public are incorporated.
Email us your suggestions, edits and questions before 20 October 2024 to meet this deadline.
Recommended Citation: Rashtriya Titli Namkarana Sabha. (2024). Butterflies of India: A Checklist of Kannada Names. Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust, Bengaluru. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13822310.
Creators: Rashtriya Titli Namkaran Sabha (Rashtriya Chitte Namkarana Sabha), or National Butterfly Naming Consortium for names in native languages
Short Description: This booklet provides regional Kannada names of 235 species of Indian butterflies. It includes species that make up the butterfly fauna of urban greeneries, and a few additional species found in Karnataka. The aim of this booklet is to help generate public awareness about butterflies, their biology, and conservation, by breaking language barriers in public education and outreach.
Naming Team:
- Sheily Srinivas: Freelance Consultant (Project and Programme Management), Bengaluru
- Lochana R.: Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust, Bengaluru
- Kollegala Sharma: Retired Chief Scientist (CSIR-CFTRI) and Editor, Kutuhali-Kannada, Mysuru
- Venkataramana H. S.: Engineer F, National Centre for Biological Sciences - TIFR, Bengaluru
- Krushnamegh Kunte: Associate Professor, National Centre for Biological Sciences - TIFR, Bengaluru
Advise and Support:
- Aravind Madhyastha: Senior Fellow (Professor), Ashoka Trust For Research In Ecology And The Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru
- Yuktha J. G.: Summer Intern, National Centre for Biological Sciences - TIFR, Bengaluru
Long Description (English):
The geographical setting of India presents a wonderful example of rich biodiversity. The Himalayan ranges span north and north-eastern India, while the hills and forests of the Western and Eastern Ghats of peninsular India are bounded by plains and sea coasts. Deserts of Rajasthan present a stark contrast to the verdant forests of the south and north-east. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Bhavnagar to Mizoram, climate, vegetation, animals and insects of each region are distinct. India alone hosts more than 1,400 species of butterflies. These butterflies include the Golden Birdwing with a wingspan of more than 150 millimetres, as well as the Grass Jewel that is smaller than a fingernail. These short-living creatures play a special role in their ecosystems and interactions with plants and other insects/organisms, such as in pollination and food-webs.
Considerable efforts are being made in our country to study butterflies, from understanding their lifecycles to their ecology and evolution. In parallel, there are prominent outreach and educational activities that spread awareness about the biology and conservation of butterflies through nature camps, nature trails, lectures, and discussion sessions among the general public. However, India is as diverse in regional cultures and languages as it is in biodiversity. This diversity means that outreach should also be undertaken in regional languages so that all people have a chance to learn about nature and biodiversity, including butterflies, in their region without facing language barriers. Therefore, an integral part of this broad effort to educate public has to include coining names in regional languages that everyone in the region can easily understand. At the same time, doing so will also increase the curiosity and interest of the general public towards butterflies, which will hopefully commit people to conserve butterflies in their surroundings. Although efforts have already been made to coin names in Marathi, Bengali and Malayalam, systematic efforts to coin names in other regional languages were lacking. Therefore, a need was felt to undertake such efforts for other major regional and/or state languages.
As a result, we native scientific experts, naturalists and language experts interested in the biology and conservation of butterflies came together under a platform that we call ‘Rashtriya Titli Namkaran Sabha‘ and equivalent names in regional languages. Since mid-2023, we considered the English and scientific names, morphological features, behaviours, and distribution of common Indian butterflies to coin names in Hindi and Kannada languages. We made a special effort to coin names that are easy to pronounce and remember, have a sense of belonging, and be in tune with the culture of native speakers, rather than simply translate well-established English names. We used the following well-defined criteria to coin these names:
- Morphological features of species
- Flight and other behaviours of species
- Larval host plants on which caterpillars of specific species/groups of species feed
- For the above features, we often relied on cultural and mythological references from India’s deep literary heritage
- In some cases, already published English or Kannada names were used if they provided an interesting context or a suitable option
As a first priority, we focused on 235 common and/or widespread species that form butterfly faunas across India’s urban and rural landscapes, where most people are likely to encounter butterflies. This is thus the first instalment of Kannada names of 235 species that includes a set of butterflies we treat as ‘Butterflies of Urban Greeneries‘, and a few additional species found in Karnataka. In the second phase, we will cover the remaining species that occur in the Kannada-speaking belt of India. Please join us in this effort.
Long Description (Kannada): Coming soon.