Walang bibitiw!

Mt. Isarog, one of the highest peaks in the Bicol Region, is the Philippines’ “butterfly mountain.”

But widespread butterfly rearing as an alternative means of livelihood among the locals poses a threat to the insects’ existence, researchers warned.

Researcher Maria Dulce Jovillano-Mostoles of the Camarines Sur State Agricultural College (CSSAC) based in Pili, Camarines Sur conducted a study on Mt. Isarog to determine the role of the majestic mountain as habitat for these brightly colored winged insects known not only for their aesthetic value, but also for their natural function as crop pollinators.

The research was funded by Haribon Foundation and monitored by the Los Baños-based Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCARRD).

Mt. Isarog is a rich source of butterflies in the Bicol region, PCARRD’s Rowena Baltazar said.

“However, there have not been systematic inventories to date. With butterfly rearing as one of the alternative livelihoods being promoted in the Bicol region nowadays, the risks of some inhabitants exploiting said fauna could threaten the species even to extinction,” Baltazar noted.

In her survey, Mostoles recorded 41 species under 29 genera and seven families of butterflies in the mountain.

The population of each butterfly family, arranged in decreasing order, are: Nymphalidae (13 species), Pieridae (9 spp.), Papilionidae (8 spp.), Bangidae (7 spp.), Satyridae (3 spp.), and bycanedae and Hosperidae (1 cach).

The CSSAC researcher further noted that butterfly population was exceptionally high in cultivated areas.

In contrast, the coloration of butterflies in cooler, forested areas was of striking shades and hues compared with those in the cultivated and grassland areas.

Host plants for common butterflies were also abundant but not for rare ones, Mostoles further noted.

The study recommended adopting conservation measures for both the butterfly species and their host plants.

It also underscored the need to address the dwindling number of trees and unregulated collection of adult fliers, as these adversely impact on the abundance of butterflies at the Mt. Isarog Natural Park.