Thursday 26 / December / 2024
Muscat: Much to the delight of nature lovers in Oman, the migratory Blue Tiger Butterfly (Tirumala limniace) has returned to the Sultanate after more than 37 years.
The butterfly was sighted at four locations in the Sultanate between July and August last year, according to a study by Diwan of the Royal Court.
Original habitat
This butterfly is classified under the family of Danaidae, which includes the Plain Tiger Butterfly, more commonly found in Oman.
“Studies indicate that East-West Asia among the species' original habitats. It is also known to migrate in groups in the Indian subcontinent,” the study added.
A recent scientific paper documented the return of this butterfly from the province of Gujarat in northwest India.
Climatic influences
Its presence in the wild in Oman indicates that it has journeyed approximately 1,300km, crossing the Arabian Sea.
The Blue Tiger Butterfly's first visited the Sultanate in 1983, under similar climatic conditions, the paper states.
”This reinforced that even back then climatic conditions influenced travelling to Oman overseas. Larsen and Pedgley’s paper (1985) mentions the first sighting of this butterfly between August 12 and August 23, 1983, at several locations in Masirah Island and Abu Dhabi, after a storm hit the Arabian Sea and the Sea of Oman, affecting most of the Omani coast and Masirah Island.”
“At the end of May 2020, a storm swept along the coast of Oman, chiefly affecting Dhofar Governorate, after passing along the coasts of the Indian subcontinent, followed by the monsoon winds at the beginning of July. This points to the possibility of transmission of this butterfly via strong winds.”
Recorded sightings
The butterfly was sighted in Manah, Sinaw (Al-Wafi), Al-Rustaq (Wadi Bani Awf), and Wadi Bani Kharus.
The paper also indicated the presence of a group of host plants preferred by the species, which differ from location to location.
In Oman, the butterfly seeks out Shakhar or Apple Of Sodom (Calotropis procera) as its leaves provide the larvae with suitable nutrition.
Subspecies
The Blue Tiger can be classified into six location-specific subspecies, and the one sighted in Oman is Tirumala limniace exoticus, the paper adds, the lifecycle of which may up to 60 days.
However, a hypothesis exists that a set of conditions -- including hot weather and the presence of predators -- limit the ability of this subspecies to reproduce or survive for generations in Oman.
Oman in home to approximately 80 species of butterflies. As pollinators, they are important to the ecosystem. Butterfly gardens are tourist attractions. Some species are edible, too.
