Butterfly genebank set up on Mt. Makiling

A pilot demonstration area for butterfly gene banking has been set up on Mt. Makiling in Laguna.

The area was established by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (DENR-ERDB) at its Makiling Forest Reserve-based Los Baños Experiment Station.

The genebank has been envisioned to serve as a living repository of species of butterflies, both endemic and exotic, that are found in the vicinity of the legendary mountain.

To date, reported ERDB headed by Director Celso P. Diaz, the genebank has five species of butterfly, namely: Papillo polytes, Catopsilia scylla, Hypolimnas bolina, Danidas sp., ad Nymphalidae sp.

The genebank also now has a number of host/nectar plants such as Lantana camara, Citrus sp., and Ipomoea sp., which provide food and "home" for the "flying flowers".

Encouragingly, the ERDB butterfly farm/genebank project placed third (poster category) in the STARRDEC Regional Symposium on R&D Highlights held not long ago in Los Baños. STARRDEC stands for Southern Tagalog Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium, one of the 14 PCARRD-coordinated government regional R&D consortia.

The ERDB project is expected to boost the development of the country’s budding butterfly industry.

"Butterflies," pointed out ERDB, "are usually known as flying flowers because of the attractive brilliant colors they possess. Seeing plenty of them visiting a garden brings peace and joy to one’s heart."

Dr. Carlos Andam of the Marinduque State College, one of the country’s leading exponents of butterfly conservation, stated:

"Butterflies are a natural resources that are indicative of biological diversity. If there are different butterfly species around, it simply means the plant species in the environment are diverse in vegetation. They are the most colorful and charismatic among the insect creatures which are not only adding aesthetic beauty to the environment but also adding income for people."

Butterfly products include preserved butterfly in frames, pupae for export, and other souvenir items.

Prof. Panchito Labay of MSC has identified more than 158 butterfly species belonging to 71 genera and 10 families in the taxonomic classification. The most popular for culturing are papilios. – Rudy A. Fernandez