Harish Gaonkar, a Danish International" Development Agencymarch scientist, has recently come up with unportant observations onP famall diversity of butterfly-ecolVilm haillia. His research shows thatps, is mat a single butterfly 'hostW Mw plant on which it feeds)a Is am used for medicinal purw Two tribes of the genus TroidesOw most beautiful and mostdiverse of all Indian butterflies -have been chosen as an illustration ofthis relationship.
Aristollochia bracteolata (Hindi:Kiramar) is used against snake-biteLike all other Aristolochiae. It is also a"MV- cathartic, anthelmintic,slillop and is used to cure jointas. M cmished leaves are used onON sores. Butterflies nesting oni Sillow am Troides minos, P hectorI P aristoilochia (all in WesternGhats). Of the related species ofThottea, Thottea siliquosa is presently fairly common in the Cottigaonsanctuary in Goa. Roots and leavesare used as febrifuge and poulticeand its juice is used to cure sores fromleech bites. It hosts the Pach lioptapandiyana butterflies.
Aristolochia plants contain several secondary chemicals (Feeny, 1991),oils and alkaloids known to be toxic.So, butterflies nesting on them maybe toxic to their vertebrate predators.This is yet to be researched upon.
These studies would enable socialforestry planners to know whichAristolochiae species to plant asundershrubs (as opposed to importedfast-growing species and to monoculture), besides determining protectionand cultivation of various medicinalplants and most importantly, the protection of butterfly habitats.