Guwahati: In a significant addition to India’s butterfly records, researchers have documented the first photographic evidence of the Himalayan Sordid Emperor (Chitoria sordida sordida) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve.
The discovery, published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa was made by Roshan Upadhaya, Rajesh Gopinath, R. Mahesh, and Gaurav Joshi, marking a major range extension for the species, previously known only from Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Manipur, Bhutan, and parts of Myanmar.
The butterfly was recorded on October 16, 2024, near Lunkai Nalla, a stream within the biodiversity-rich Namdapha landscape. Researchers observed a single female individual basking on sunlit rocks along the stream, occasionally flying and returning to nearby surfaces—behaviour typical of the species in forested habitats.
What makes the finding particularly noteworthy is that none of the earlier butterfly checklists from Arunachal Pradesh—despite documenting around 175 species of the Nymphalidae family, had recorded this species, confirming it as a first for the state.
The species, protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022, is typically associated with tropical forests at lower elevations. Its presence in Namdapha, an area bordering China and Myanmar but not Bhutan raises fresh questions about its distribution and ecological preferences.
Researchers identified the butterfly using standard taxonomic keys and morphological features such as wing patterns, antenna structure, and coloration. No specimen was collected, and the record is based entirely on photographic documentation.
Experts say the finding is more than just a new entry in a checklist. It highlights gaps in biodiversity documentation in Northeast India and suggests the possibility of undetected species or shifting ranges, potentially influenced by climate change.
The study underscores the importance of Namdapha National Park—one of India’s most biodiverse protected areas, as a critical landscape for future exploration and conservation planning.