As long as she can remember, Sohini Vanjari, 32, has been fascinated by different aspects of butterfly ecology, which also helped her choose a career path. “When I was 17, I got a chance to visit an insect collection at the zoology department, Modern College, Pune, where I met Dr Hemant Ghate. And at the same time, I spotted a butterfly pupa in our backyard and I did not know what it was exactly.

Commander