Itanagar: A recent scientific expedition into the Simong Community Forest in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district has resulted in the significant discovery of six butterfly species previously unrecorded in India, firmly cementing the Eastern Himalayas as a vital global biodiversity hotspot. The findings, published in the latest edition of the journal Entomon, underscore the profound ecological importance of community-conserved forests in the region.
The groundbreaking study was spearheaded by researchers from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), based in Bengaluru, in collaboration with the Litin Community Conservation Society. The team based their findings on photographic evidence gathered during fieldwork conducted in 2024. The expedition was notably led by local conservationist and co-author, Agur Litin, a member of the local Litin clan.
The newly documented species significantly expand India’s butterfly records. They include the Litin Onyx (Horaga takanamii), Narrow-banded Royal (Dacalana vui), Tibetan Duke (Euthalia zhaxidunzhui), Tibetan Sergeant (Athyma yui), Tibetan Junglequeen (Stichophthalma neumogeni renqingduojiei), and Mountain Columbine (Stiboges elodinia). These butterflies had only been formally documented in countries like Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and southeastern Tibet until now. Their presence in Arunachal Pradesh not only extends their known geographical range but also strongly suggests biogeographic links between India’s Siang Valley and the Metok region of Tibet.
The research postulates a crucial natural corridor, noting, “The Brahmaputra River appears to play a critical biogeographic role, facilitating faunal continuity between southeastern Tibet and eastern Arunachal Pradesh.” Remarkably, the team documented 90 butterfly species during just seven days of surveys, which the researchers emphasized highlights how much of the region’s Lepidoptera remains undocumented. “The documentation of six previously unrecorded species within a short one-month survey underscores the striking lack of Lepidopteran surveys and conservation attention in the Indian Eastern Himalayas,” the study noted. The discovery reaffirms the crucial stewardship role played by local communities, such as the Litin clan, in protecting the last remaining wild landscapes of the Eastern Himalayas, while simultaneously deepening scientific understanding of India’s natural heritage.
