Steady increase in hot days in Northwest and Southeast India in recent years: claims study

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The 2019 Indo-Pakistani heat wave across north India and Pakistan( Credit: NASA Earth observatory/ Wikimedia Commons)

According to a study conducted by the researchers from Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD), there was a steady increase in the occurrence and duration of hot days in the Northwestern and Southeastern regions in India in the recent years. Analyzing weather data from 1951 to 2015 to understand the incidence and duration of heatwave conditions in India, the study found that the average heat wave duration in the Northwestern and Southeastern regions of India has increased during this period. 

However, the average duration of hot days has decreased over most parts of India from 1951 to 2015, except in the northwest and southeast regions. According to the researchers, this may be due to the increase in average heatwave duration in the Northwestern and Southeastern regions during the same period as hot days could be upgraded to the heatwave category as temperature soars.

 

Rare orchid spotted from Kullu after 119 years

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Flowers of Calanthe davidii (Image Credit:Ashutosh Sharma/JOTT)

A rare orchid, Calanthe davidii, has been reported from Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh after a gap of 119 years. According to researchers, the last available record of the plant from India dates back to 1899, from Mussoorie in Uttarakhand. 

As per a report published in the latest issue of Journal of Threatened Taxa, Ashuthosh Sharma, a researcher associated with DR YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, happened to come across an unknown orchid in August 2018 while carrying out a survey in Kullu. A detailed study from the available specimens of the plant in the herbarium later helped in identifying it as Calanthe davidii.

Yellow-legged gull eggs wriggle to warn nest mates about danger, induces survival traits

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Yellow-legged gull chicks in their nest (image credit: Contando Estrelas)

Birds and animals emanating alarm calls to warn their offspring about possible predator presence is a common occurrence in the animal world. However, a new study published in nature Ecology and Evolution journal shows that Yellow-legged gull eggs which are exposed to such alarm calls can imbibe that information and pass it on to other nest mates through vibrations, inducing developmental changes at embryonic stage and also influencing anti-predator behavior in later life.

As part of the study, the researchers collected 90 eggs from a large colony of Yellow-legged gulls from Salvora Island in Spain and conducted an experiment to investigate whether alarm calls about predators ‘heard’ by the eggs induce anti-predator traits in the chicks when they hatch. They have created an experimental group – clutches of 3 eggs each, (totaling 45) which were exposed to alarm calls – and a control group –clutches of 3 eggs (totaling 45) which were not exposed to alarm calls. 

Population of Long-Billed Vultures in India still declining: Environment Ministry

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Indian Long-billed vultures in Orcha, Madhya Pradesh (Image Credit: Yann Forget / Wikimedia Commons)

Despite conservation efforts, the population of the critically endangered, Long-billed vultures is declining in India. According to Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, there are only 12000 Long-billed vultures left in India as per the latest survey figures.

Answering a query in the Lok Sabha, the Ministry informed that surveys in the past showed that the population of the vultures in the country was establishing after a sharp decline during the mid-90s till 2007. However, the latest surveys show that the Long-billed vulture population is still declining.

The national waterway project may put the turtles of Varanasi Ghats at stake, claims new study

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Boats at Varanasi Ghats in Banaras, Uttar Pradesh, India
(Image credit: Jorge Royan/Wikimedia commons)

By Melbin Thomas

Large vessel movement through the Ganga River as part of the proposed National Waterway-1 system under Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) will pose a major threat to the geomorphology of the river and endanger the habitat of soft shell turtles in Varanasi Turtle Sanctuary (VTS), claim researchers from IIT Kanpur and Wildlife Institute of India.

According to their study published in the Current Science journal, the geomorphology within the VTS has remained stable for the past 50 years, except for some minor changes. National Waterway-1 system under JMVP which proposes to connect Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and Haldia in West Bengal, enabling the movement of large cargo vessels through VTS, may disturb this stability, says the study.

Study confirms presence of near extinct Hangul population outside Dachigam NP in Kashmir Valley

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Image Credit: Lovenaimals.com

All may not be lost for the near extinct Kashmir red deer, Hangul, with just around 200 individuals surviving within the 141 square kilometers of Dachigam National Park in Jammu and Kashmir. A new study confirms the presence of Hangul population outside the National Park and also shows evidence of other suitable habitats for Hangul in Kashmir Valley. 

PAs in Western Ghats slow down deforestation except near highly populated areas, finds study

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A patch of  agricultural field bordering forest land in Southern Western Ghats in Kerala.
(Image Credit: Indian Biodiversity Talks)

A new study about forest cover loss shows that protected areas (PAs) in Western Ghats were able to slow down the rate of deforestation. However, in areas with high population density, deforestation rates are higher even in the PAs. 

Published in the Biological Conservation journal, the study shows that the forest loss inside protect areas was 32 percent less than that in other areas. However, the scenario is different in case of PAs near dense human populations where there is a higher possibility of losing the forest cover. “Where local human populations were higher in the Western Ghats, protected areas were 70% more likely to lose forest cover than non-protected areas”, says the study.

Indus river dolphin population survey confirms breeding population of the dolphin in River Beas

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An Indus Dolphin spotted near Dhunda in River Beas during the population survey (Image Credit: WWF-India)

The first ever organized population survey of the endangered Indus River Dolphin in the Beas River in parts of Punjab has confirmed the presence of a breeding population of the dolphin in the 185 km river stretch between Talwara and Harike. According to figures released by WWF-India, which organized the survey in collaboration with the Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Punjab, the final estimated population of the dolphins in the river is 5 to 11 individuals.

Illegal traders of tiger body parts thrive along Indian border with Nepal and Bangladesh

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A tiger under captivity in a zoo in Mangalore, Karnataka

India’s borders with Nepal and Bangladesh have turned out to be the most active hot spots of illegal trade of tiger body parts, claims a new study report. Apart from the border areas, the report indicates that the Kerala-Tamil Nadu regions in South India as well as Madhya Pradesh in Central India are other potential hotspots of this illegal trade in the country.

India tops otter skin seizures in Asia during the last three decades, shows TRAFFIC study

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Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) (Image courtesy by Bernard Landgraf CC BY-SA 3.0) 

Among the South Asian countries, India recorded the most number of otter skin seizures in the last three decades pointing to the intensive illegal fur trade in the region, claims a report by TRAFFIC, a global wildlife trade monitoring network.

According to the TRAFFIC report, during the period of 35 years from 1980 to 2015, India recorded 52.7 percent of total otter seizures recorded across 16 Asian countries. According to the data compiled from different CITES management authorities in these countries, a total of 167 incidents of otter seizures were reported during the 35 year period which amounted to a total of 5979 otter specimens. Among this, 88 incidents amounting to 3276 individuals were from India. The demand in the Chinese market is the major reason for the rampant illegal trafficking of otter skins from India, claims the report.

New cycad species discovered from Odisha gets named after Nayagarh district

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Cycas nayagarhensis is a new cycad species discovered from Nayagarh district of Odisha
(Image courtesy: R. Singh/P. Radha/J.S. Khuraijam/AJCB)

Nayagarh district in Odisha has now one more reason to be special. It is the only known home for a newly discovered rare cycad species which is now named after the district as Cycas nayagarhensis. Due to its rare nature, the researchers have recommended it to be classified under Critically Endangered plants in the world.

Netravali Leaping Frog, a new frog species endemic to Western Ghats discovered from Goa

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Netravali Leaping Frog (Indirana salelkari) [Image Courtesy: Vivek Kale]

Goa may be known for its beautiful beaches, but now it is home to a rare frog species yet unknown to the scientific world. A group of researchers have described a new species of leaping frog - now called Netravali Leaping Frog (Indirana salelkari) from Netravali (Neturlim) in Sanguem Taluk of South Goa district. The new discovery adds one more member to the Ranixalidae family of frogs which are endemic to Western Ghats.

Banded Tit: A Butterfly new to science from Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh

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Banded Tit (Hypolycaena narada) specimens at the Research Collections Facility, National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore [Image Courtesy: Krushnamegh Kunte/LRF/JRL]

In a very significant discovery for butterfly lovers, a researcher has described a Lycaenidae butterfly yet unknown to science from Namdapha National Park in eastern Arunachal Pradesh in North-East India. Now known as Banded Tit (Hypolycaena narada), this winged beauty is usually found along the stream sides in the mixed evergreen forests of Namdapha National Park.

Aralam WLS adds Blue Nawab and the Cornelian to its butterfly diversity

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Blue Nawab (Polyura schreiber wardii)
 (Photo Courtesy: Aditya Joshi/Wiki Media Commons under CC BY-SA 2.0)

The latest butterfly survey at Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, a small protected area situated in the Southern Western Ghats, added two more new winged beauties to its rich insect diversity. The three day survey carried out from January 10 to 12 recorded Blue Nawab and Cronelian butterflies from different parts of the sanctuary for the first time. With the new additions, the total butterfly species found in Aralam WLS increased to 242, according to researchers who participated in the survey.

Though Blue Nawab was recorded from different parts of the state since 2003, this is for the first time that we record the caterpillars of the butterfly from inside Aralam Wildlife sanctuary, said Jafer Palot, Secretary, Malabar Natural History Society which routinely organizes the butterfly survey camp at Aralam each year to monitor and study the altitude migration of Common Albatross and related species of butterflies in the sanctuary.

According to researchers who participated in the survey, migration was abundant this year. During peak hours of migration, the monitoring teams were able to record as much as 1500 butterflying passing a specific spot on the banks of Cheenkani River in one minute period. It has been observed during the earlier butterfly surveys in the sanctuary that hundreds of thousands of butterflies belonging to specific species migrate from upper reaches of Western Ghats to lower reaches though certain fixed routes during this season. However, their point of origin is still unknown just as the destination of their enigmatic journey.

The Cornelian (Deudorix epijarbas)
(Photo Courtesy: Ajit U / Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 2.0)

The new addition again increases the conservation significance of the sanctuary for its rich insect diversity. Even Silent Valley National Park, which is known for its rich and endemic fauna, has only up to 125 species of butterflies recorded so far, says butterfly enthusiasts. Talking to media, V C Balakrishnan, an environmentalist who has been participating in the event for the last several years, said that the new discovery increases the conservation significance of Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary. "This underscores the importance of conserving the place as an important biodiversity spot where butterflies and other winged creatures flock together in lakhs," he said.

According to Balakrishnan, who is an expert in identifying and documenting plants in Western Ghats, the caterpillars of Cornelian butterfly were on Sapindus plant and on Connarus plant. Caterpillars of Blue Nawab were found on a plant which is called as Vallimandaram (Bauhinia phoenicea) in Malayalam.

The butterfly survey camp also reported high mud-puddling on the banks of the rivers Cheekannipuzha and Urutipuzha in the sanctuary. During mud-puddling, butterflies flock to the wet forest floor or on the river banks to suck in nutrients and rare minerals from soil. According to V Madhusoodhanan, Assistant Wildlife Warden of Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, the three day camp with around 90 participants recorded more than 150 species of butterflies from different parts of the sanctuary this year.

Now, watch the huge butterfly roost observed in Aralam during the migration season of 2013.

New bush frog species discovered from Western Ghats of Maharashtra

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Raorchestes ghatei
(Photo Courtesy: JOTT, Image Credit: Anand D Padhye)

Amidst the ruckus raised by mining lobbies and real estate mafias against the implementation of the expert panel report on conserving the Western Ghats mountain ranges, researchers continue to discover species unknown to science from different parts of this biodiversity hot-spot. The latest in the line is Raorchestes ghatei, a new species of Bush Frog discovered from the Western Ghats in the state of Maharashtra.

According to a study published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, the new frog species is very different from its closest relatives. Apart from the observable morphological differences, the sequencing study of the mRNA of the newly described frog confirms its identity as a distinct species of bush frogs. According to the research note, ‘molecular phylogeny based on 16S rRNA gene sequence suggests that the new species is genetically distinct and forms a monophyletic clade within Raorchestes, the genus of bush frogs’ to which it belongs.

Researchers came across this enigmatic species from different places in Satara and Pune districts of Maharashtra. They have christened it after Dr. H.V. Ghate known for his contributions to the herpetology of Western Ghats of Maharashtra. According to the researchers, the frog will be known as Ghate’s Shrub Frog.

Based on historical records, the researchers claim that the Ghate’s Shrub Frog is widely distributed in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. It typically inhabits scrub patches and semi-evergreen forests. The species shows sexual dimorphism due to which males and females of the species look different. In fact, they are different in their behavior too, say the researchers. While the females prefer to hide under loose stones, males usually perch on shrubs and tree trunks up to 5 meters above the ground.

Unlike many other frogs, the new species does not have a free-swimming tadpole stage in its development.  Instead, it shows direct development – emerging as a morphological miniature of the adult from the egg. As per the study, Raorchestes ghatei usually lays egg in loose soil under stones.

Amphibian diversity in Western Ghats

Western Ghats is known for its rich amphibian diversity, the new discovery adds to human efforts to understand it. According to a theme paper on Amphibian diversity prepared by Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, India is home to 311 species of amphibians among which 161 are found in Western Ghats. According to the paper, at least 138 species of amphibian species are endemic to Western Ghats. However, much of this diversity was unknown to science until recently and is still getting unearthed. During the last ten years from 2003, at least 37 new species of frogs have been discovered from different parts of the Western Ghats.

According to the new study which described Raorchestes ghatei , though specific threat to the new frog species were difficult to identify, the habitat destruction due to human interference is a major threat to the endemic amphibian diversity in Western Ghats. “Even though no specific threats could be identified for the species, continuous deforestation in these areas leading to habitat fragmentation could be a threat to the species”, says the study. According to the researchers, tourism activities as well as setting up of wind farms are also leading to destruction of amphibian habitat in this area.

Anand D. Padhye and Anushree Jadhav of Department of Zoology, MES’s Abasaheb Garware College, Pune, Amit Sayyed of Wildlife Protection and Research Society, Satara and Neelesh Dahanukar from Indian institute of Science Education and Research, Pune have co-authored the study.

Common Mormon bags Butterfly Mumbai Crown

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Mating Common Mormon Butterflies at Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India
(Image: Indian Biodiversity Talks)

Common Mormon now decorates the coveted title of Butterfly of Mumbai - the financial capital of India. Mumbaikars have selected the most charming common butterfly in their suburbs in a suspense filled competition between a dozen winged beauties. In the race to win the title of the most charming, common butterfly, Common Mormon overtook a couple of winged beauties like Tailed Jay, Common Crow, and Common Emigrant.

Known as Papilio polytes in scientific parlance, this Swallowtail butterfly grabbed the title when biodiversity conservation research organisation Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) organised a public poll on different common butterfly species, as part of their Breakfast with Butterflies programme, to create awareness among the city folk about butterflies. According to sources, the voting was held at the Facebook page of BNHS also.

During the programme, the 150 participants of the programme voted for butterflies like Common Crow, Tailed Jay, Common Mormon and Common Emigrant. 69 voters elected Common Mormon as the most charming one. Tailed jay, the closest rival in the race, managed to bag 35 votes.

Others beauties failed to make many fans among the voters with Plain Tiger scoring 28 votes and Common Emigrant managing to get 17 votes. Common Crow was the least voted species, with just 9 votes. According to organisers at the BNHS, butterfly species were selected for voting based on their popularity and wide distribution in Mumbai.

“Common Mormon is just like any Mumbaikar”

According to Dr. V.Shubhalaxmi, Deputy Director, BNHS, Common Mormon has a lot of similarity with an average Mumbaikar. “Common Mormon resonates the spirit of Mumbai by being elegant and beautiful yet ‘street smart’ to remain grounded. Like any Mumbaikar, Common Mormon fights the odds of life by adjusting with its environment by adopting strategy of mimicry”, she said.

She sketches out more striking similarities between the newly elected Butterfly Mumbai and the Mumbai life. “As the young love their food with a dash of curry leaf tadka and drops of lemon juice, so does the Common Mormon’s caterpillar”, she said. Next time you see a Common Mormon, remember they are our buddies and let them live and flourish with us, she reminds.

Watch mating Common Mormon butterflies. The female is mimicking Crimson Rose

The swallowtail butterfly belonging to the Papilionidae, is widely distributed in India and other parts of Asia. The female Common Mormon butterflies show an interesting example of mimicry in the insect world. Some female Common Mormon butterflies mimic Common Rose while some other mimic Crimson Rose, both distasteful to birds due to the poisonous food plants they eat during their larval stages. Common Mormon lays its eggs in Curry leaf plant or lemon plant. 

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New Butterfly Species Discovered from Upper Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh

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Callerebia dibangensis, was discovered from Upper Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh 
(Image Courtesy: Purnendu Roy)

 

According to a new research study published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, a researcher has identified and described a new species of butterfly from Upper Dibang Valley district of the North Eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. The newly identified butterfly has a set of distinctive characteristics which makes it different from its closest relatives, it says. After confirming the identity of the species as a separate one, the researcher has named it after the biodiversity rich Dibang Valley.

Christened as Callerebia dibangensis, the new species joins the league of roughly 11 species and 20 subspecies of closely related butterflies in the Callerebia genus, which are found exclusively in the Himalayan regions of India and China. 

However, the story of establishing theidentity of the new butterfly species Callerebia dibangensis is rather a long one. According to Purnendu Roy, who described C. dibangensis, this Nymphalid butterfly was spotted and collected in 1987, approximately 26 years back, from Mithun Valley in the Upper Dibang valley, Arunachal Pradesh.  But subsequent work on the identification and describing the species was delayed due to personal as well as technical reasons, according to Roy. The specimen is presently deposited at the Natural History Museum, London.

Key features of C. dibangensis

A combination of very distinctive characters like large size; highly rounded wings; striking under hindwing white scales; distinctive under hindwing tornal ocelli (an eye like marking on the posterior corner of the wing); large round orange spot on the anterior corner of the forewing  and a dark brown underground colour distinguishes Callerebia dibangensis from its similar looking relatives in the Callerebia  genus. 

Callerebia dibangensis underside
(Image Courtesy: Purnendu Roy)

The first specimen of the species was collected along the track that leads from Anini to Mipi between the altitudes of 1600–1800 meters, approximately 5–10 km from Anini. According to the study, the winged beauty was spotted at a place with surrounding vegetation of mixed sub-tropical broad-leaf forest.

Unlike the usual practice of baptizing new species with a scientific name and a common name, the author of the study has urged the people of Dibang Valley to give a common name to the new species.

 According to a press note released on the study, the Mishmi weaving of the local people is known to be influenced by butterflies like Northern Jungle Queen. Since the new butterfly species has beautiful white lines on its hind wing, which indeed resembles some patterns of the weaving culture, it may have a local name. 

“It cannot be ruled out that it does not have a local name already. If it does not have a local name, this could be an opportunity for local conservation or community groups to give it a common name to promote the conservation of the Dibang valley forests.”, says the press note.

Overlooked for two decades

The new discovery, however, points out certain realities on our knowledge about the rich biodiversity of our country. The fact that the existence of a new species among butterflies, which are intensively studied by entomologists as well as nature enthusiasts, was over looked for many years is a shocking surprise. According to Roy, the remote nature of Dibang Valley and difficulties in accessing these areas during tough weather can be reasons why very few butterfly surveys have been carried out here. Recently, rare butterfly Empress was rediscovered from the area after a gap of 88 years.

“If in a well-studied group such as butterflies, a new species has been overlooked, then I think it does illustrate that more new species, especially in the less studied fauna will be discovered(from the area). There is certainly a need for more systematic studies so that a greater range of altitudes and seasons are covered”, Roy said in an exclusive email interview with Indian Biodiversity Talks. 

The researcher also thinks that the butterfly can be endemic to the valley due to the specific geographic nature of the place. There is no specific threat to the new species, at present, says Roy. “At the elevation (from which) it was collected, there are no specific threats. The proposed Dibang dam is however a serious threat to the riverine forests at lower elevations as highlighted by the MoEF forest panel which rejected the clearance”, he said.

New coral species discovered from Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India

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Ctenactis triangularis from Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Image Credit: C Raghunathan

Shedding light to the rich but unexplored marine biodiversity of India, Scientists of the Zoological Survey of India described a new species of coral reef, Ctenactis triangularis from Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. The new species which belongs to the family of mushroom corals, adds a fourth member to the Ctenactis genus of corals.

“The first specimen of the species was collected from Rutland Island from South Andaman by snorkeling and skin-diving", said the scientists. Later another specimen of the same coral was observed at the North Bay in South Andaman in December 2008. Researchers were able to spot the same species again after two years, in 2010, off the coast of Elephant Beach in Havelock Island.

Tamal Mondal and C. Raghunathan , scientists at the Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre of Zoological Survey of India situated at Port Blair have reported and described the identity of the new species.

Distinguishing features of Ctenactis triangularis

According to the ZSI scientists, the newly described species has characteristics which make it different from all the three members of the genus previously reported by other studies.

Ctenactis triangularis
Image Courtesy: JOTT

The discovery which is published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa reveals that three characteristics make the new species different from its closest relatives.

The major feature is the triangular, flat shaped skeleton or corallum which makes it different. According t the study, ‘divisible mouth fossa, spinulose costal spines and cylindrical septal teeth’ also make it distinguished from other members of its genus.

To underscore one of its most visible distinguishing features – its flat triangular skeleton, the scientists have named it as triangularis. “The species has been named after the triangle-shaped arm like coralla, which gives a unique morphological character to distinguish it from other related species”, says the study.

Conservation Status of Ctenactis triangularis

Despite the new discovery, the future of the coral reefs off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar are likely bleaker, points out the study. “Threats, which can be categorized as natural and anthropogenic, to the reef biodiversity, have been encountered for a long time.”, it says.

According to the researchers, the new species belong to Scleractinian corals which are protected under CITES Appendix II which curbs the transnational smuggling of these corals. Moreover, they are also included in the Schedule I of protected organisms of Indian Wildlife Act, 1972. 

Six injured Slender Lorises rescued from Bangalore city, black magicians suspected

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Slender Loris (Loris lydekkerianus)
Image Courtesy: Kalyan Varma

Wildlife smuggling rackets and black magicians are on the prowl in Bangalore, hints recent wildlife rescues from the city. Officials were able to save six severely injured Slender Lorises- a slow-moving, nocturnal primate- in the last two months. All of them are suspected to be smuggled into the city and were tortured by black magicians.

According to People for Animals (PFA), an NGO involved in rescuing animals, all the rescued Lorises were injured in a specific way. The activist of the NGO alleges that the nature of the wound found on these rescued animals show that they are being used by black magicians. Kishan C H, General Manager of the Bangalore chapter of People for Animals told the media that the animals are injured in the most barbaric way. According to reports, the animals were in bad shape with their arms or legs crushed or cut off.

This smallest primate, found only in India and Sri Lanka, is targeted by black magicians and folk medicine practitioners for the belief that the animal has special powers and medicinal properties.  “The belief is that whatever is inflicted on the animal will in turn happen to the person's enemy," said Kishan.

The NGO was able to spot the animals from different parts of the city. While some of them were reportedly found from a farm house near Nelamangala, one was taken to a veterinary hospital first and later reached PFA. Rescuers were able to find two of the animals at Shivajinagar. Despite the rescue efforts, three out of the six rescued animals were not able to survive. The other three were later returned to the wild with the help of forest officials, said PFA sources.

Smuggling Slender Loris

It is suspected that the trucks carrying wood from the outskirts of the city would have been used to smuggle Slender Loris at least in Shivajinagar, since it is the major center for carpentry in the city. According to M Nagaraj, Forest Range Officer, South Bangalore, the forest officials have noted that the use of Slender Loris for black magic is turning rampant in the city. “We have already come across six instances in two months. We have not made any arrests yet but are keeping a close watch on it”, he said.

Experts suspect that tribes are being paid for catching the animals and handing over to smuggling rackets. It was earlier reported that tribes are paid by photographers to catch Slender Loris to photograph it.

Rare butterfly, The Empress, rediscovered from Debang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh after 88 years

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The Empress, (Sasakia funebris) spotted from Debang Valley District in Arunachal Pradesh
(Photo Courtesy: JOTT/Arun P Singh)

All he was able to get were two quick pictures. It never came back, despite patient wait for long hours. But the pictures were worth it, since they are the first of a live Empress to be recorded from the country.  The moment was simply unbelievable for the researcher who accidentally met The Empress, (Sasakia funebris) from Upper Debang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh, since it was going to be the first record of the rare butterfly from India after 88 years.

Arun P. Singh of Ecology & Biodiversity Conservation Division, Rain Forest Research Institute, Jorhat, Assam was carrying out a survey on ‘Reassessment of forest types of India’ in the Upper Debang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh when he chanced upon this rare butterfly on the side of the Anini-Mippi Road. During the survey, “this species was incidentally photographed on the road side and later identified”, says the research correspondence regarding the rediscovery published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The butterfly “preferred to remain in cover but came down to an eroded mud patch along the road to drink during bright sunshine for a minute or so before disappearing again into thick cover above”, says the researcher in the correspondence.

With a wing span of 125 to 130 mm, the butterfly is comparatively larger and very distinctive with its black colour and red eyes. The forewing cell (the middle portion of the butterfly wing) has a red streak while the hind wing has red markings in the base. The outer halves of the wings of this butterfly have dim white streaks in V shape also.

Historical Records of The Empress from India

Though the butterfly is also found in parts of China, records from India are very scarce. Considered very rare among the winged beauties, The Empress was last reported from India in 1924, when British entomologist O C Ollenbach collected a male specimen from Jakhama in Naga Hills which is now preserved in the National Forest Insect Reference Collection at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun. Earlier, four specimens of the same butterfly were reportedly collected at Jakhama in Naga Hills in 1911 and 1912. In both the cases, it was reported from altitudes higher than 1500 meters.

The Empress, (Sasakia funebris) spotted from Debang Valley District in Arunachal Pradesh.
(Photo Courtesy: JOTT/Arun P Singh)

The present rediscovery has high conservation significance since extensive surveys of butterfly population in neighbouring states of North East India and Myanmar in the recent past have failed to record the presence of the species. The new record is also an extension to the range of this insect since the place is approximately 200 kilometers away from Naga Hills and is situated in a different hill range at an altitude of 1657 meters. According to the researcher, the area of the rediscovery was mixed sub-tropical broad-leaf forest. The species is protected in India with inclusion in the Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

The place from which it is recorded is less disturbed by human intervention, says the research communication. “Biotic interference were low although threats to the forests in the area include shifting cultivation, grazing, fuel wood and timber extraction on a minor scale”, it says. However, the insect is a much sought item for insect smuggling rackets since it costs up to $15 dollars for a single individual in the international curios markets.