Aluri Jacob Solomon Raju
Andhra University, India
Title: Butterfly-flower interactions and biodiversity in the changing environments
Biography
Biography: Aluri Jacob Solomon Raju
Abstract
Butterflies occupy a vital position in the ecosystem and are useful as indicators of environmental change. Their occurrence depends on the climatic dicta, the presence of suitable caterpillar foods and appropriate adult nectar sources or other food, suitable arenas for flight and courtship. They require a continuous supply of food sources, especially nectar sources from a number of plant species. In this context, floral morphological and nectar characteristics are important for visitation by butterflies. Nectar plays an important role in the nutrition of adult butterflies. Nectar is a highly enriched food resource consisting of carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, antioxidants, alkaloids, proteins, vitamins, salts, etc. But, all these nutrient chemicals are not found in a single floral nectar source and hence flower-visiting butterflies should pay visits to different floral nectars to acquire all the required nutrients. The knowledge accumulated in this direction is very much limited and it is particularly so for India; this knowledge on butterfly-flower interactions is essential especially in the context of changing environments for the effective conservation and management of the butterfly diversity.