It is a sunny morning in the middle of a Mumbai monsoon when we meet Dr V Shubhalaxmi, or the 'The Bug Lady', as she calls herself. She is not kidding — she wears an understated gold ring with gemstones set in the shape of a butterfly and her mobile phone chirps like a cricket when it rings. The entomologist, who formerly worked with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) before setting up her own environment consulting firm, has undertaken a mission to woo butterflies back into our lives. And, she is tempting them with places to stay, eat and shack up — in essence, a habitat.

The two-week-old butterfly habitat at Urban Haat, Belapur