Arunachal Pradesh: Lepidopterists discover butterfly species Neptis philyra in Ziro

A CORRESPONDENT

ZIRO: A group of butterfly enthusiasts or lepidopterists, discovered elusive Neptis philyra, in the month of June 2023, also known as the long-streak sailor in the heart of India's Tale Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Ziro.

This butterfly was first described by M. Ménétriés in 1859 from Russia. This species has been found in East Asia, including eastern Siberia, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Tibet, Yunnan, and Vietnam.

The groundbreaking discovery was later documented and disseminated in the esteemed international scientific journal, Journal of Tropical Lepidoptera Research, Florida, USA on April 5th, 2024.

This marked the first recorded sighting of the species in India, originating from Pange.

Sponsored by Wikimedia Foundation, the Tale Valley expedition via Wiki Loves Butterfly project was carried forward by a group of passionate butterfly enthusiasts, comprizing Atanu Bose, Mahesh Baruah, Abhishek Dutta Choudhury, and Anitava Roy.

The project was led by the field expertise of Kojmama Taman and Punyo Chada, which culminated in the awe-inspiring revelation.

Also read: Namdapha Butterfly Festival from Oct 13 in Arunachal Pradesh (sentinelassam.com)

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