Students of The American College organising a butterfly formation on college campus in Madurai on Tuesday.
The American College’s Department of Zoology completed its annual Big Butterfly Month survey here on Tuesday.
The event brought together faculty, research scholars and students for structured butterfly counts and photography sessions, celebrating biodiversity and reinforcing the college’s long-standing commitment to butterfly conservation.
This year’s count recorded 27 butterfly species, marked by two remarkable first-time campus sightings — the Pointed Ciliate Blue (Anthene lycaenina) and the Large Oakblue (Arhopala amantes). Both species typically inhabit forests making their surprise appearance on a city campus an exciting and notable find, said organisers.
Among them, the Pointed Ciliate Blue stands out as it is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Meanwhile, the Double-branded Crow and Dark Blue Tiger were spotted in large numbers, following an gathering of nearly 20,000 similar butterflies—including the Common Crow and Plain Tiger—on the same campus back in June 2026.
Visitors were also treated to frequent sightings of other species like the Blue Tiger, Common Indian Crow, Common Grass Yellow, Common Jay, and Tiny Grass Blue throughout the day.
The Department of Zoology has been systematically studying campus butterflies since 2009 under the guidance of E. Joy Sharmila, Head of the PG Zoology Department. Building on earlier extensive documentation of 101 species in the Azhagar Hills Reserve Forest and 168 species in the Sirumalai Hills, research has now expanded to the Kodimangalam Reserve Forest.
In a further boost to conservation efforts, the college has established a dedicated on-campus butterfly garden.
Plans are also underway to set up a butterfly museum that will promote environmental awareness among students and the wider public.
Meanwhile, students of the B.Voc/M.Voc Degree Programme and Green Management Programme organised a human butterfly formation on the college ground to emphasise the importance of protecting the species.
Published – September 22, 2026 07:53 pm IST
