MADURAI: The butterfly count which was conducted in the huge sprawling green campus of American College in Madurai had revealed a few important points which convey that butterflies are also seeking admission in huge numbers along with students.
‘Big Butterfly Month Celebration’ event was conducted by Postgraduate Zoology Association of American College on September 22nd 2026 to give a colourful morning through ‘Wings of Wonder’ that had focused to celebrate the beauty, celebrate the biodiversity, discover the wonder and that every butterfly counts.
“This year’s butterfly count on September 22nd 2026 in American College main campus in Madurai had recorded 27 butterfly species and it was marked by 2 remarkable first-time campus sightings- the Pointed Ciliate Blue (Anthene lycaenina) and Large Oakblue (Arhopala amantes). Both are primarily forest-species, but they are now seen in our college campus in an urban setting. This is important because ‘The Pointed Ciliate Blue which is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 is adding a special value to our findings this year,” Dr.E.Joy Sharmila, Associate Professor and Head of Department of PG Zoology, has said in a press release here yesterday while thanking the entire zoology department team of staff and students who were involved in the survey.
The Department of Zoology of American College has been systematically studying campus butterflies since 2009 in the campus and is taking a lot of conservation efforts for documentation of butterfly species in Madurai area including Alagar Hills Reserve Forest, Sirumalai Hills, Kodimangalam Reserve Forest etc.
“Our American College has established a dedicated on-campus butterfly garden and there is a plan to set up butterfly museum,” according to a press release from the college here yesterday which said that the survey had showcased rich butterfly diversity of American College main campus in Madurai while there is also a concerning alert that there is a decline in overall butterfly numbers this year.
This Big Butterfly Month initiative was coordinated by Dr.E.Joy Sharmila (PG Head), Dr.P.Velladurai (UG Head) and assistant professor Dr.Dailiah Roopha, research scholar B.Archana and M.Sc student M.Kamalesh, the press release added.
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