Peter Smetacek works on the taxonomy and zoo-geography of Indian Lepidoptera. He is also interested in exploring the potential of Lepidoptera as bio-indicators of ecological functions and groundwater.

In this part we look at some strategies adopted by butterflies that enable them to avoid predators.

Butterflies are a fine example of how creatures that are perfectly non-aggressive can survive in nature. Indeed, they are not only surviving, but are also thriving. These fragile-looking, shortlived creatures have been around for millions of years, much longer than humans, or even the genus Homo: 35 million year old butterfly fossils from Europe and North America all bear the distinguishing characters of modern-day butterfly families, so ancestral butterflies must have evolved much earlier than that. Butterflies are found almost everywhere that it is possible for a creature to survive, from the harsh and cold Arctic tundra to hot deserts like the Thar and Sahara and, of course, in very large numbers in equatorial rain forests.

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Address for Correspondence
Peter Smetacek
Jones Estate P.O. Bhimtal,
Nainital Uttaranchal 263 136, India.