A gift of wings

A memoir by one of India's leading lepidopterists makes a strong case for studying butterflies and moths to research the impact of climate change

"Is it possible to become friends with a butterfly?" mused the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. Well, among the few mortals to have come the closest must be Peter Smetacek. He might be an unfamiliar name to most, but among those working with nature, or simply passionate, it is a name that is spoken of with reverence. And if you are a lepidopterist (a person who studies butterflies and moths), chances are that you have already spent some time with Mr Smetacek, beating the bushes in search of butterflies.

Within entomology (the study of insects), lepidoptera has been the chosen preserve of very few. Lepidopterists lead a life that is as mystical as that of a butterfly. It is a life spent predominantly chasing colourful butterflies that are always agonisingly out of reach in the morning breeze. And this memoir by Mr Smetacek is as mystical as it gets.

The story began generations ago in the forests of Sudetenland in central Europe (which today comprises the Czech and Slovak republics). The Smetaceks were professional foresters who worked to conserve and sustainably use the resources of Sudetenland forests. The Smetaceks' tryst with India began when Smetacek Senior fled the spread of Nazism before World War II by being smuggled onto a ship bound for Southeast Asia. He hopped off at what was then Calcutta, became a businessman and married a local woman. But true to his family tradition, he gave in to the call of the wild, and moved his family to Nainital in the verdant hills of Kumaon. Smetacek Senior soon found the hills a haven for lepidoptera and started collecting the butterflies he spotted.

The family picked up the passion, and young Peter Smetacek, along with his siblings, started following in his father's footsteps. Not trained in entomology or taxonomy, the father and sons painstakingly built up their butterfly collection. However, by an unfortunate twist of fate, Smetacek Senior's collection was gobbled by an infestation of museum beetles. It was left to Peter Smetacek to create the collection almost from scratch; this time he decided to build it as a resource that could be used for generations. The Peter Smetacek story takes shape as soon as the family moved into their estate in the idyllic environs of Bhimtal. Mr Smetacek soon found that Bhimtal was a haven for butterflies; over 240 of the country's 1,300-plus unique species were found there. Thus, Bhimtal became the hub for his butterfly collection and study effort, which today is known as the Butterfly Research Centre.

Following Mr Smetacek's journeys in the quest to find rare butterflies nestled in the remote nooks and crannies of the Himalayan folds is nothing but exhilarating and simply unputdownable. The journeys range from climbs up treacherous spurs of mountains to travels to remote pastures and rarefied lands that make up the higher Himalayas. It is stunning to see the elevations yield a rich haul, much like the multiple layers of a sumptuous pie. Mr Smetacek's prose is rich and lucid; even if you are new to entomology, you will be able follow him quite easily. The nearest parallel in terms of both writing and richness of detail is Jim Corbett's classic, Man-eaters of Kumaon. Every time you read Corbett, you are amazed, and Mr Smetacek is not too different.

While you are sure to come away with more than a fair share of stunning lepidoptera facts, it is the conclusion that Mr Smetacek draws from his study that makes this book a worthwhile read; he makes out a case for using butterflies and moths to study the effects of climate change. While the science of climate change has been subject to much debate, there is a growing consensus on the need to look for minute local habitat and species variations. Mr Smetacek makes an argument for butterflies and moths to be used as indicators because they are very sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity, and local flora and fauna. The study, though, is still in its infancy; it remains to be seen if the colourful patterns of a butterfly's wings will provide the clue to the climate change puzzle.

BUTTERFLIES ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD
Peter Smetacek
Aleph Book Company
224 pages; Rs 495