The publication was released by BTC Chief Executive Member Hagrama Mohilary and features a checklist and photographs of butterfly species recorded across the forests of Bodoland

Guwahati: The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) has released a comprehensive booklet on the butterflies of the Bodoland forest landscape, showcasing the region’s remarkable biodiversity and strengthening its push to promote eco-tourism.

The publication was released by BTC Chief Executive Member Hagrama Mohilary and features a checklist and photographs of butterfly species recorded across the forests of Bodoland.

Spread over 3,653 sq km, the Bodoland forest landscape is home to more than 346 butterfly species, making it one of the richest butterfly habitats in Northeast India. Experts believe the number could exceed 400 species, owing to the region’s unique location at the junction of the Eastern Himalayas, Indo-Malayan and Indo-Gangetic biogeographic zones.

Lime Butterfly, Papilio demoleus

The forests harbour several rare and endemic butterflies, including the Yellow-crested Spangle, Swinhoe’s Flat, Great Windmill, Moore’s Cupid and The Witch, underlining the global conservation value of the landscape.

One of Bodoland’s biggest natural spectacles occurs during the monsoon, when thousands of butterflies gather at sites in Ultapani Reserve Forest and Raimona National Park in the Greater Manas Biosphere Reserve for mud-puddling—a behaviour in which butterflies absorb minerals from moist soil. The phenomenon has earned the Ultapani-Saralpara-Ripu landscape the title “Land of Dancing Butterflies” among naturalists.

Red pierrot, Talicada nyseus

The booklet also highlights the cultural significance of butterflies, noting that the Bodo community’s famous Bagurumba dance is believed to have been inspired by these colourful butterfly congregations.

The publication is the result of years of field research by Bodoland University, the North East Butterfly Meet Network and other butterfly experts. Besides serving as a scientific reference, it aims to promote environmental awareness and responsible nature tourism.

The BTC Forest Department urged people to help conserve butterfly habitats by protecting native plants, preserving mud-puddling sites and discouraging illegal collection of butterflies, warning that habitat loss and climate change continue to threaten several endemic species.