New Butterfly Species Found in Arunachal’s Mayodia Pass

Guwahati:  A major breakthrough has been for global biodiversity, researchers have described a butterfly species previously unknown to science from Mayodia Pass in the Lower Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh.

The new species, scientifically named Chonala albistricta (Kunte & Khan, 2026), has been formally described in the international journal Zootaxa. It becomes the tenth known species in the genus Chonala worldwide and only the second to be recorded in India.

The butterfly has been given the name Narrow-banded Wall, inspired by the distinctive narrow, unevenly curved white band on its forewing. The discovery is  a major achievement given the history of the genus. While three Chonala species were first described in the late 19th Century , no major additions were made for more than a century. New discoveries have emerged only in recent decades, with Chonala albistricta now joining the global list as the 10^th recognised species.

Scientists believes the finding  showcases the rich yet underexplored biodiversity of the Eastern Himalayas. Although the new species closely resembles Chonala masoni, commonly known as the Chumbi Wall, detailed analysis revealed clear differences in wing patterns, morphology and male genital structures, confirming its status as a distinct species.

Scientists also noted that Chonala butterflies inhabit remote, high-altitude mountain regions and exist in small, isolated populations. These natural barriers encourage evolutionary divergence, leading to the emergence of new species. The research team believes that more undiscovered butterfly species may still be awaiting discovery in the remote Himalayan landscapes of Northeast India and neighbouring parts of Asia.

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