CONSERVATION
IUCN Redlist category Least Concern (IUCN 2020)
Rationale for redlist categorization Pachliopta aristolochiae has been assessed as Least Concern. In 1985, Collins and Morris listed this species as 'generally common and not threatened'. It appears that this species is still very common and widespread, with an estimated extent of occurrence of around 20 million km2. Although some localised threats may be present, in general this species appears to be thriving, and has been recorded in a number of different habitats including urban areas. (IUCN 2020)
Threat category Ecosystem conversion,Species disturbance (IUCN 2020)
Cause of stress Housing & urban areas,Unintentional effects (species is not the target) (IUCN 2020)
Described Threats Threats to this species are localised. The adult nectaring-plant resources are extensive, as this species utilises many species of flowering shrubs and trees for nectar (Barua and Slowik 2007), therefore the major threat to the species is loss of its larval host plant. Barua and Slowik (2007) reported that the survival of this species is highly dependent on the distribution of Aristolochia indica and Aristolochia tagala as this is where the females lay their eggs and the larvae develop. In some parts of India, destruction of Aristolochia indica due to urbanisation could therefore be putting this species at risk (Atluri et al. 2001). This has also been stated as a threat in areas of Thailand, where cultivation of land leads to clearance of A. tagala (Boy 2005). Aristolochia indica is also harvested for use as an antidote to snake venom (Bhattacharjee and Bhattacharyya 2013) and as an antibacterial medicine (Shafi et al. 2002). Aristolochia tagala is used in Malaysia to treat fever, in Indonesia to reduce swelling, in India as a tonic and in China to treat dysentery and high blood pressure (Chin 2018). The exploitation of these plants for medicinal uses, coupled with their destruction during deforestation, could mean their numbers are decreasing. However, exact data on the population of these plants is not known, and it is also possible that the butterflies can use other Aristolochia species as host plants. Indeed, it has been found to extensively use Aristolochia bracteata as a host plant (I. Kehimkar pers. comm. 2019) in Solapur (Maharashtra) and Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), both drier regions. Forest clearing for different purposes have left a negative impact on the populations of this butterfly in central Nepal (Khanal 2013). No illegal trade of this species has been recorded yet in Nepal (B. Khanal pers. comm. 2019). (IUCN 2020)
Commercial use It is difficult to kill this butterfly, as it will not die easily when the thorax is pinched - which is the usual way that traders kill them - and it can survive mishandling (Kunte 2000). This suggests that trading this species is not an easy process. It is difficult to find specimens of this species to purchase online, suggesting (not conclusively) that trade is not significant. (IUCN 2020)
Kind of conservation needed Site/area management (IUCN 2020)
Applied conservation actions In 1985, Collins and Morris listed this species as 'generally common and not threatened' in their global assessment of the world's swallowtails. This species is listed as Least Concern on the National Red List of Bangladesh, due to its large extent of occurrence and its lack of threats in the country (Al-Mamun 2014). The species occurs in a number of protected areas throughout its wide range, such as Balpakram National Park, Baghmara Reserve Forest and Siju Wildlife Sanctuary in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya (Kunte et al. 2012), Kameng Protected Area Complex in western Arunachal Pradesh (Sondhi and Kunte 2016) and Barail Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam in India (Gogoi et al. 2016); Satchari National Park in Bangladesh (Ul Hasan et al. 2018); Khao Yai National Park in Thailand (Boy 2005).
Research is ongoing into how this species, amongst other butterfly species, could be successfully conserved in butterfly parks. Some action has already been taken, as Matthew and Anto (2007) set up a small-scale butterfly garden in Peechi, India, and demonstrated how numbers of butterflies, including this species, increased dramatically. Mukherjee et al. (2015) suggested that enhancing urban green spaces is an important step for conservation of this species (among others), based on their study of species richness in Kolkata. They found that all species were present in highest abundance in suburban areas (not rural areas), suggesting urbanisation does not necessarily impede conservation of species, however efforts should be made to maintain green spaces with a variety of host plant and adult nectaring plant species.
Most research has been conducted in India on this species' conservation, where it is very abundant, however more research into its abundance and population trends in other countries is necessary. In Hong Kong, Aristolochia tagala is currently protected under Forestry Regulations Cap. 96A, and this may be an important future step in other Asian countries in order to conserve the host plant of this species. The Wildlife Act of Nepal restricts the collection of any butterfly species including this species without an authorised written permission from the Nepal Government (B. Khanal pers. comm. 2019). This species has not been included in the Nepal Red Data Book as a Threatened species (BPP 1995). Specimens of this species occurring inside the protected area system are conserved well but ongoing habitat degradation and pressure on natural resources is adversely affecting all butterfly populations outside the protected area system (B. Khanal pers. comm. 2019). (IUCN 2020)
REFERENCES
- Al-Mamun, A. 2014. Atrophaneura aristolochiae. IUCN Red List.
- Atluri, J.B., Venkata Ramana, S.P. and Subba Reddi, C. 2001. Life history of Pachliopta aristolochiae from (Lepidoptera : Rhopalocera : Papilionidae) from India. Journal of the National Taiwan Museum 54(2): 9-12.
- Barua, K.K. and Slowik, J. 2007. Study on the biology and consumption potential of Common Rose Pachliopta aristolochiae aristolochiae F (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) on Aristolochia tagala . Polish journal of entomology 76: 341-352.
- Bhattacharjee, P. and Bhattacharyya, D. 2013. Characterization of the aqueous extract of the root of Aristolochia indica: Evaluation of its traditional use as an antidote for snake bites. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 145(1): 220-226.
- Boy, P. 2005. Beobachtungen auff?lliger Tagfalter (Lep. Papilionidae) in Khao Yai Nationalpark / Thailand. Galathea, Berichte des Kreises Nurnberger Entomologen 21(4): 155-166.
- BPP. 1995. Nepal Red Data Book. Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Kathmandu.
- Chin, W.Y. 2018. Aristolochia tagala. Available at: http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/pub/naturewatch/text/a101c.htm. (Accessed: 13th September).
- Gogoi, M.J., Singha, H.J. and Deb, P. 2016. Butterfly (Lepidoptera) Diversity in Barail Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, India. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 4(4): 547-560.
- Hasan, M.A.U., Neha, S.A., Baki, M.A. and Babu, M.Q. 2018. An inventory of butterfly species in relation to food sources and climatic factors influencing their diversity and richness in a semievergreen forest of Bangladesh . Arthropods 7(3): 53-68.
- IUCN. 2020. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2020-3. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 10 December 2020).
- Kunte, K. 2000. India, a lifescape: butterflies of Peninsular India. Universities Press, Hyderabad.
- Kunte, K., Sondhi, S., Sangma, B. M., Lovalekar, R., Tokekar, K., and Agavekar, G. 2012. Butterflies of the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, northeastern India: their diversity and conservation. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(10): 2933-2992.
- Shafi, P.M., Rosamma, M.K., Jamil, K. and Reddy, P.S. 2002. Antibacterial activity of the essential oil from Aristolochia indica. Fitoterapia 73(5): 439-441.
- Sondhi, S. and Kunte, K. 2016. Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of the Kameng Protected Area Complex, western Arunachal Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(8): 9053?9124.
- Ul Hasan, M.A., Neha, S.A., Baki, M.A. and Babu, M.Q. 2018. An inventory of butterfly species in relation to food sources and climatic factors influencing their diversity and richness in a semievergreen forest of Bangladesh. Arthropods 7(3): 53-68.