Modern, integrated, multi-platform field guides for biodiversity sciences

Biodiversity Atlas – India Field Guide Series aims to produce modern, authoritative, and multi-platform field guides that are integrated across print, mobile and online media. These Field Guides will assist a budding population of naturalists and citizen scientists in the identification, natural history and biology of species. The overarching goal is to contribute to the growth of biodiversity sciences in India through citizen science initiatives using biodiversity informatics.

India is a land of biodiversity, where watching and photographing animals and plants has now become popular. At the same time, with the rise of citizen science initiatives, amateur naturalists are increasingly interested in generating new publication-quality information on the natural history, species diversity, and biology of many popular groups of organisms, such as butterflies, dragonflies, birds, and plants. In the past decade, amateur naturalists and young scientists have made significant contributions by helping to discover hundreds of new species in India, and contributed to the understanding of distributional ranges, seasonal occurrence and abundance of species by submitting millions of observations to online biodiversity informatics platforms. Massive growth in data generation through citizen science initiatives such as Biodiversity Atlas – India (https://www.bioatlasindia.org), Atlas of Living Australia (https://www.ala.org.au), eBird (https://ebird.org), iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org), and many others shows the tremendous promise of biodiversity informatics through widespread collaborations between professional and amateur citizen scientists.

At the same time, these developments highlight a need to produce modern, authoritative, and integrated multi-platform field guides that can train and assist a growing population of naturalists, citizen scientists and budding professionals in the identification, natural history and biology of species. The proposed Biodiversity Atlas – India Field Guide Series addresses this need. The Field Guides will form an integrated interface between print, mobile and online media, as follows.

The Biodiversity Atlas – India is a collaborative citizen science project (https://www.bioatlasindia.org) in which thousands of individuals from multiple institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and informal citizen groups are currently involved. It provides a powerful natural history web-platform for species-based bioinformatics. Most data are contributed by amateur citizen scientists, photographers and professional scientists; and the data are peer-reviewed and curated by advanced amateurs and professional biologists. Thus, Biodiversity Atlas – India supports the efforts of integrated professional-amateur scientific communities that aggregate large datasets on Indian biodiversity with the goal of studying ecological trends, especially in the face of climate change and human development. There are currently eight taxon-based websites (i.e., on specific organismal groups): (1) butterflies (est. 2010), (2) moths (est. 2014), (3) dragonflies and damselflies (est. 2014), (4) cicadas (est. 2015), (5) reptiles (est. 2017), (6) amphibians (est. 2017), (7) birds (est. 2017), and (8) mammals (est. 2018) (see further details at https://www.bioatlasindia.org/bai-websites).

The Biodiversity Atlas – India Field Guides will take advantage of this strong and growing bioinformatics platform, as well as existing expertise of experienced naturalists and biologists in the country, to produce printed and mobile app-based field guides on various taxonomic groups. The taxon-based books and mobile apps will follow standard formats for printed and mobile-based natural history field guides, but they will share a large proportion of the text and images. These complementary media platforms will provide detailed information on the identification, natural history and conservation status of species. They will be richly illustrated with images and summary figures on various aspects of the species biology to assist students and naturalists in the field (see the attached sample). The printed books in this series are inspired by such landmark series as the National Audubon Society Field Guides and the National Geographic Field Guides.

The mobile apps and websites will be closely integrated, with two-way flow of data and features with regular updates. One of the primary goals of these two electronic platforms is to gather user-contributed information into a comprehensive database on specific taxonomic groups. Towards this end, the mobile apps will expand existing data contribution features of the websites so that the app users can contribute data directly from their mobile devices, with or without images. Each of the three media (printed, mobile, and online) may be used independently if the users so wish. However, the cross-media integration will be immensely powerful in the long term to generate new and continuously updated data and information on species in India. Further, the core use of methods and tools of biodiversity informatics will drive rapid growth of biodiversity sciences in India. The associated educational resources will be useful to students and teachers alike.

The writing of the field guides and development of the associated mobile apps and websites will be supported through partnering institutions and extramural funding. The Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust (this website), which has developed all the existing websites under the Biodiversity Atlas – India platform, will continue to coordinate further development of the websites and mobile apps. The subsequent outreach and citizen science initiatives supported by these printed, mobile and online media platforms may be spearheaded by any partners from educational and research institutions and conservation organizations, based on their geographic reach, interests and mandates. As we have done in the past, we will do our best to develop new features and modules on the mobile apps and websites to facilitate these educational and citizen science projects so that young citizen scientists get trained well, and diverse kinds of data on Indian biodiversity are integrated in ways that can be used efficiently to understand the biology and conservation needs of species. The information generated through the websites and mobile apps will be made publicly available free of cost through the mobile and online platforms. Starting from 2026 and following the publication of the printed field guides and mobile apps, we are committing to launching a nation-wide effort to engage citizen scientists in stepping up efforts to document biodiversity and impacts of climate and other changes on its future in India.

Proposed Structure of the Biodiversity Atlas – India Field Guide Series

Chief Editor: Prof. Krushnamegh Kunte (Associate Professor, National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS-TIFR), Bengaluru)

Board of Editors and Reviewers: This is drawn from experienced naturalists who are leading authorities on the natural history and taxonomy of the groups of animals and plants on which they specialize. They are also authors of well-known popular natural history books. Further information is available upon request.

Proposed titles in the series:

1. Butterflies of India: A Citizen Scientists’ Guide. This book and mobile app are scheduled for release in 2026. A species-based bioinformatics platform, Butterflies of India, that gathers and displays citizen scientist-contributed data has been in operation since 2010. This platform has been driving growth in the natural history and biology of Indian butterflies, resulting in more than 20 research publications. It has contributed significantly to the proposed book and mobile app, with which it will be integrated.

2. Titles on moths and Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) will be launched as soon as the field fuide on butterflies is released.

Citation of the Brochure:

Kunte, K., Lochana R., Lalrintluanga, and V. Nawge. 2025. Butterflies of Indian Urban Greeneries (brochure). 2nd revised edition. Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust, Bengaluru, India. 14-page, foldable brochure.

Information about the Brochure:

This brochure is a product of an ongoing study of Indian butterflies conducted collaboratively by the Butterflies of India consortium, composed of many research institutions, NGOs and citizen science groups. It is a handy pictorial guide depicting nearly all the butterfly species of urban greeneries across India, except in the truly forested regions. It is aimed at creating awareness and educating citizens, facilitating long-term monitoring of butterfly populations, and aiding conservation efforts by State Forest Departments to protect and improve butterfly habitats and help vulnerable species persist in urban landscapes. The primary focus on well-curated images and pointers to key identification features makes this brochure accessible to beginners, including children, as well as to naturalists, students, teachers, and even urban ecologists.

The brochure is particularly helpful for educational and other outreach activities, long-term butterfly monitoring activities, and great for schools and other educational institutions. It also makes a great gift!

For more information on Indian butterflies, including research, monitoring, and conservation efforts, visit the Butterflies of India (https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org; other pages on this website) and Indian Butterfly Monitoring Scheme websites (https://www.ibms-network.in), download iButterfly Explorer and iBiodiversity Count mobile apps (https://www.ifbt.in/mobile-apps), or contact:

Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust: Email: secretary@ifoundbutterflies.org. Phone: +91 6362-512-292 (also on WhatsApp).

or

Biodiversity Lab: Dr. Krushnamegh Kunte. Email: krushnamegh@ncbs.res.in. Phone: +91 9483-525-925 (also on WhatsApp).

How to Obtain Copies of the Brochure:

You can obtain copies in person at NCBS (GKVK campus) in the north or JP Nagar in the south of Bengaluru, or receive them by post. The brochure is a not-for-profit resource for the community, it is not produced as a commercial product. However, a contributory amount from those who can afford it is appreciated, since this will help us produce further copies for distribution to underfunded schools, and to create additional resources for butterfly-watchers. A suggested contributory amount to obtain the brochure is Rs. 125 per copy. If you can afford it, then pay more than the suggested contributory amount (see further below). You can pay by bank transfer or a UPI-based app such as PhonePe or PayTM using the details below. Email us a screen capture before you pick up copies or ask them to be shipped (include your postal address). For shipping purposes, an order of a minimum of 10 copies is required, and please include cost of shipping and handling (Rs. 150 for 10-30 copies, Rs. 400 for 31-100 copies).

Information for Bank Transfer:

Account name: Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust

Bank details: State Bank of India, Amruthahalli Branch, Bengaluru 560092. Ac. No.: 40332965419. IFSC Code: SBIN0011821.

UPI ID: 6362512292@SBI

QR code for payment through UPI-based apps:

Sponsor This Brochure for Underfunded Schools and Budding Naturalists: All contributory funds from this brochure will go to distributing free copies to underfunded schools and to students who cannot pay, to creating new outreach and educational materials on biodiversity and conservation, and for other non-profit goals and projects. If you want to sponsor additional copies for distribution to underfunded schools and students, then please get in touch. If you want to sponsor printing of customised copies that may be distributed to a group of people you especially care about (e.g., a school, NGO, society, company, or state forest departments), then that can be arranged, too.

We would like to translate this brochure into Hindi and other regional languages and make the information about butterflies as widely accessible to as many native speakers as possible. If you can help us in this effort, then please contact us. Residents of Bengaluru or those who can visit NCBS for this work are preferred.

A MOBILE APP FOR AI-ASSISTED SPECIES IDENTIFICATION AND NATURAL HISTORY OF INDIAN BUTTERFLIES

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE APP FOR ANDROID PHONES FROM THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE, HERE

The iOS version will be made available on Apple App Store in due course of time.

Read about the associated iBiodiversity Count mobile app.

SEE THE FAQs FOR THE APPS HERE

The iButterfly Explorer mobile app will help take your enjoyment of watching Indian butterflies in the field to the next level. It is an authoritative field guide for species identification and natural history of Indian butterflies. The app offers AI-assisted species identification, and serves as a mobile-friendly, offline companion to the Butterflies of India website, from which it draws data.

The project is driven by an integrated professional-amateur scientific community that aggregates big data on Indian butterflies with the goals of: (a) providing helpful resources and guidance to watch and enjoy butterflies, and (b) studying ecological trends. The platform is also used extensively for educational and outreach activities, so it promotes the enjoyment, research and conservation of biodiversity.

It is a home-grown citizen science platform, custom-made for Indian biodiversity, hosted in a leading national research institution, and supported by a consortium of non-profit agencies and/or non-profit engagements.

Prominent Features:

• Easy-to-use, richly illustrated mobile app for field identification of species, aided by a rich array of peer-reviewed reference images

• Easy-to-use, highly accurate AI-assisted identification of species using your photographs

• Online as well as offline functionality, facilitating use in urban greeneries and remote field locations alike

• Useful for everyone, from nature lovers and naturalists to citizen scientists and field researchers

• It is completely free. It has no inbuilt ads, and your data and personal information will not be sold or shared with any other platform or company for a for-profit or non-profit purposes.

Read the associated full statements on data privacy and data sharing /data-privacy at the linked pages.
 

The app was produced as a collaborative effort between the Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust, Nature's Ark and NextWealth Entrepreneurs Pvt. Ltd., first released in December 2025.

A MOBILE APP TO ENTER, ORGANISE AND RETRIEVE COUNT DATA ON INDIAN BIODIVERSITY

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE APP FOR ANDROID PHONES FROM THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE, HERE

The iOS version will be made available on Apple App Store in due course of time.

Read about the associated iButterfly Explorer mobile app.

SEE THE FAQs FOR THE APPS, HERE

The iBiodiversity Count mobile app helps to take your enjoyment of watching butterflies, moths, odonates (dragonflies and damselflies), reptiles, and other Indian animals, in the field to the next level. The app has advanced features to record field data on species occurrence and populations, making it a truly comprehensive citizen science platform.

The app is not only useful for noting down your observations for personal use and research projects, but it also facilitates participation in several major citizen science projects such as Biodiversity Atlas – India (BioAtlasIndia) and Indian Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (iBMS). This mobile app is driven by an integrated professional-amateur scientific community that aggregates big data on Indian biodiversity with the goal of studying large-scale and long-term ecological trends, especially those related to species occurrence and distribution, and those related to biological impacts of climate change and of changes in land-use patterns. The platform is also used extensively for educational and outreach activities, so it promotes the enjoyment, research and conservation of Indian biodiversity.

It is a home-grown citizen science platform, custom-made for Indian biodiversity, hosted in leading national research institutions and NGOs, and supported by a consortium of non-profit agencies and/or non-profit engagements.

Prominent Features:

• Online as well as offline functionality, facilitating use in urban greeneries and remote field locations alike.
• Useful for everyone, from nature lovers and naturalists to citizen scientists and professional field scientists.
• Allows users to track sightings and organise and back up observations, field notes, and population and count data, on a secure, stable and retrievable platform.
• Includes standardised formats to enter data as 30-minute counts, daily checklists and regional (location) checklists, with geo-tagged field data.
• It is completely free. It has no inbuilt ads, and your data and personal information will not be sold or shared with any other platform, individuals, company or agency for a for-profit or non-profit purposes.
• You control the use of your data by the larger community by choosing an appropriate copyright license. You can choose to either:
  (a) keep the data generated using this mobile app as completely copyrighted for personal use; that is, not share the data with others;
  (b) make the data available to others immediately for use under a creative commons license, or
  (c) make the data available to others under a creative commons license in a phased manner, for example under a 3-year or 5-year embargo, if you want to publish your results before you make the data available to others. The last option is suitable for those who are working towards their Masters or PhD theses, or working on a funded project with specific restrictions on data sharing.

Read the associated full statements on copyright, data privacy and data sharing at the linked pages.

The app was produced as a collaborative effort between the Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust, Nature's Ark and NextWealth Entrepreneurs Pvt. Ltd., first released in December 2025.

We have an extensive network of biodiversity scientists and research associates who do research work on various aspects of Indian biodiversity. Currently, we have the following members:

Dr. Vivek Chandran: Christ College, Kerala. Expert on Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), who has led dozens of species discoveries.

Shantanu Joshi: PhD student, University of Kansas, USA. Expert on Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), who has led dozens of species discoveries.

Dr. Dattaprasad Sawant: Maharashtra. Expert on Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), who has led dozens of species discoveries.

Sanjay Sondhi: Dehradun. Expert on Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), who has led dozens of species discoveries, some that were new to science, some that were new to India.

Rachit Singh: Expert on Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), who has been involved in dozens of species discoveries and new species records for India.