New butterfly species seen in Visakhapatnam district

Context: Study conducted in Eastern Ghats over a period of time document butterflies of Visakhapatnam district, it would enhance upon butterfly species never before recorded in the region.

New species

• The newly recorded species from Visakhapatnam region include African marbled skipper, tree flitter, chestnut angle, chestnut bob, fluffy tit, colour sergeant and double banded crow.
• Among the recent finds, three species fall under the protected (Schedule) category of Wildlife Protection Act (1972). These are the marbled map, orange tail awl and tree flitter.
• Protected under Schedule II of Wildlife Protection Act, the marbled map or Cyrestis cocles, for instance, is listed as a ‘rare’ butterfly species confined to the hilly forests in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bhutan and Myanmar.

 ‘Little research’

• Butterflies are a very good indicator to judge how sound the biodiversity and ecology of the area is.
• “The Eastern Ghats has been drawing a good number of researchers in the recent past.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/new-butterfly-species-seen-in-visakhapatnam-district/article32967495.ece?homepage=true