Six butterfly species have been newly recorded in the Siang Valley by researchers from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru, in collaboration with the Litin Community Conservation Society.
The newly documented species include 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).
The findings, published in the journal Entomon, mark the first record of these species in India. Previously, they were known only from countries such as Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and southeastern Tibet. This discovery underscores the rich biodiversity of Arunachal Pradesh and highlights the importance of conservation in the region.
