India News | Rare Butterfly Discoveries Mark Arunachal’s First High-altitude Biodiversity Meet

Itanagar, Jul 23 (PTI) Two butterfly species, previously unrecorded in India, were discovered during the first-ever high-altitude butterfly and biodiversity meet held at Mechukha, in Arunachal’s Shi-Yomi district.

The discovery of the species – Metok Green Sapphire (Heliophorus gloria) and Medog Tufted Ace (Sebastonyma medoensis) – was made last week.

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Both species were earlier known only from Hanmi, Metok in southeast Tibet, and their documentation during the event marks a significant milestone in India’s lepidopteran research, an official statement said here.

The discovery was part of a comprehensive biodiversity assessment carried out during the event, which also recorded a remarkable 107 species of butterflies, an extraordinary number for a maiden initiative of this scale, it said.

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Other notable sightings included the Tiger-mimic Admiral (Limenitis rileyi), a new distribution record for India, as well as rare species such as the Tibetan Brimstone, Bhutan Blackvein, Giant Hopper, Scarce Jester, Brown Gorgon, and multiple Junglequeen species.

Organised by the state tourism department, the meet was aimed at promoting eco-tourism and conservation awareness in the high-altitude biodiversity zones of the state.

It brought together 72 participants, including researchers, PhD scholars, nature enthusiasts, and students from across the country, with representation from institutions such as North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), Tezpur University, Mizoram University, Digboi College, and Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE).

Students from Menchukha town schools and members of the local community also actively participated in the event, the statement said.

Set against the scenic backdrop of Mechukha, the event included butterfly walks, biodiversity trails, aqua therapy sessions, and nature games, designed to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

The participants urged the local communities to take proactive ownership of conservation efforts, emphasising long-term sustainability and the integration of biodiversity with livelihood opportunities.

The event also followed an earlier rare documentation on May 31, when the Chinese Windmill, a butterfly species never before recorded in India, was sighted in Mechukha during a routine high-altitude survey.

Together, these findings underscore the region’s exceptional biological richness and signal a new chapter in India’s butterfly research.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of Pune Media)

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