A butterfly has a few weeks to live …

A butterfly has a few weeks to live. But during that time, it spreads happiness and joy flying from one flower to another. We might think that a butterfly has nothing much to do throughout the day idling around. But it has an important role to play in the ecosystem. Along with bees, butterfly is a pollinator.

Seeds are created from flowers by a process called pollination. A flower has male part called stamen which produces pollen. Stamen are distributed near the center of the flower. The female part is stigma and it lies in the center of the flower and is a single hollow pole which accepts the pollen.

Call it a design of nature, but flowers cannot transfer pollen on their own. They rely on external agents like air, water, wind and pollinators to transfer pollen. Pollinators are any animal or bird or insect which assist in transfer of pollen from one plant to another. To attract pollinators flowers offer sweet and nutritious nectar to birds and insects. Bees are called super pollinators because they are designed for mass pollination. As soon as a bee lands on a flower it collects pollen on all over the tiny hairs they have all over the body including legs. Bees move rapidly from one flower to another until they collect enough nectar and then they head back to their hive. They keep repeating it throughout the day earning them the name busy bee. About 60% of the plant and crop species depend on bees and such insects for cross pollination.

Bees are designed for speed, agility and mass pollination. Butterfly has slow speed, it covers a few flowers in an hour. They have long legs and virtually no hair on their body or legs to trap pollen. But they have a decisive advantage over bees. Butterflies carry out long distance pollination. A bee rapidly moves from one flower to another but in close vicinity. Butterflies travel longer and have a greater reach. This helps the plants in gaining a wider gene pool. Butterfly has a longer tongue which helps the pollen survive the long flight. Bees are colour blind to red. Which means red coloured flowers are only visited by other insects and birds. Flowers which have long structure completely depend on butterflies and humming birds for pollination. Butterflies are also food for predatory birds and insects.

A butterfly lives for a few weeks, but during that time it spreads happiness and joy and plays its part in ensuring propagation of next generation of plants.

Above pictures are taken at the 1000 Shade Butterfly Park in Gurugram. Pictures clicked by TheTimeLock.

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Manisha Yadav

I am Manisha Yadav, Founder and Ideologue of Narisakti. MBA Student and Digital Marketing expert, I take your brand online and help you reach more customers.