ITANAGAR: A Mumbai-based lepidopterist has recorded as many as 85 butterfly species during a four-day expedition to the Tale Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Subansiri district.
Butterfly enthusiast Fahim Khan spotted the new species of the winged insect from August 20 to 23. He was also accompanied by Koj Mama, a butterfly enthusiast from the state, during the expedition.
The duo successfully completed the expedition with the count of 85 different species of butterfly, including the “three jewels” of Tale Wildlife Sanctuary – Kaiser-i-Hind, Bhutan Glory, and Brown Gorgon.
The expedition was undertaken to ascertain the possibility of finding the rare Kaiser-i-Hind butterfly, Arunachal Pradesh’s state butterfly.
According to butterfly experts and enthusiasts, the sightings of Kaiser-i-Hind butterfly are very rare. However, the local sighting of them is not that rare and it can be easily seen during the peak season.
Mama, who has been carrying out conservation activities of birds and butterflies for a decade, said that the three rare butterfly species— Kaiser-i-Hind, Bhutan Glory and Brown Gorgon – were sighted and photographed on the same day in different locations of the sanctuary.
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The Kaisar-i-Hind is a rare species of swallowtail butterfly. The common name literally means “emperor of India”. The Kaisar-i-Hind is much sought after by butterfly collectors for its beauty and rarity.
It usually flies at tree-top level but when there is strong morning sunlight it descends to sit on low vegetation.
