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Butterflies of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary |
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330 species of butterfly exist within the Western Ghats, 37 of which are endemic. This incredible number includes India's largest butterfly, the Southern Birdwing, with a wingspan of 140-190mm, and India's smallest, the Grass Jewel and Tiny Grass Blue, with wingspans of no more than 24mm.
This amazing diversity is a direct reflection of the diversity of flowering plants, one of every four of which provides food for the caterpillar of at least one butterfly, in many cases exclusively. The highest diversity of butterflies along the Western Ghats occurs from Agasthyamalai to Palghat Gap, followed by Goa and the Uttara Kannada region of neighbouring Karnataka.
The following list comprises those species recorded personally within the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary, and as such is by no means exhaustive. Most butterflies are active to some extent throughout the year, however where a species is considerably more abundant during a particular period this is indicated (refer to key).
| |
Key to symbols used throughout this checklist: |
| 1 |
very common |
| 2 |
common |
| 3 |
fairly common |
| 4 |
uncommon |
| 5 |
rare |
| w |
more common in winter months (November to March) |
| s |
more common in summer months (late March to June) |
| m |
more common in monsoon and post-monsoon period (June to November) |
| e |
endemic to the Western Ghats within India |
| ** |
endemic to India |
| * |
endemic to the Indian Subcontinent |
| B |
recorded in/around Backwoods Camp |
| Papilionidae: |
3m** |
B |
Southern Birdwing |
Troides minos |
| |
5me |
|
Malabar Rose |
Pachliopta pandiyana |
| |
2m |
B |
Common Rose |
Pachliopta aristochliae |
| |
2m* |
B |
Crimson Rose |
Pachliopta hector |
| |
2s |
B |
Common Bluebottle |
Graphium sarpedon |
| |
3s |
B |
Common Jay |
Graphium doson |
| |
3s |
B |
Tailed Jay |
Graphium agamemnon |
| |
4s |
B |
Spot Swordtail |
Graphium nomius |
| |
4s |
B |
Common Mime |
Papilio clytia (form dissimilis) |
| |
1m |
B |
Lime |
Papilio demoleus |
| |
2me |
B |
Malabar Raven |
Papilio dravidarum |
| |
1m |
B |
Red Helen |
Papilio helenus |
| |
1m |
B |
Common Mormon |
Papilio polytes (forms cyrus/romulus/stichius) |
| |
1m* |
B |
Blue Mormon |
Papilio polymnestor |
| |
4m |
B |
Paris Peacock |
Papilio paris |
| |
4me |
B |
Malabar Banded Peacock |
Papilio buddha |
| Pieridae: |
1m |
B |
Common (Lemon) Emigrant |
Catopsilia pomona |
| |
1m |
B |
Common Grass Yellow |
Eurema hecabe |
| |
2* |
B |
Common Jezebel |
Delias eucharis |
| |
3m |
B |
Psyche |
Leptosia nina |
| |
4m |
B |
Common Gull |
Cepora nerissa |
| |
4s |
B |
Pioneer (Caper White) |
Anaphaeis aurota |
| |
2m |
B |
Common Wanderer |
Pareronia valeria |
| |
5m |
|
Dark Wanderer |
Pareronia ceylonica |
| |
5m |
B |
Great Orange Tip |
Hebomoia glaucippe |
| Nymphalidae: |
1 |
B |
Common Evening Brown |
Melanitis leda |
| |
4 |
B |
Common Palmfly |
Elymnias hypermnestra |
| |
4 |
B |
Common Treebrown |
Lethe rohria |
| |
2 |
B |
Common Bushbrown |
Mycalesis perseus |
| |
4 |
B |
Dark Branded Bushbrown |
Mycalesis mineus |
| |
3* |
B |
Glad-eye Bushbrown |
Mycalesis patina |
| |
4m |
B |
Nigger |
Orsotrioena medus |
| |
2 |
B |
Common Four-ring |
Ypthima huebneri |
| |
2 |
B |
Common Five-ring |
Ypthima baldus |
| |
5m** |
B |
Tawny Rajah |
Charaxes bernardus |
| |
3m* |
B |
Tamil Lacewing |
Cethosia nietneri |
| |
2m |
B |
Cruiser |
Vindula erota |
| |
2m |
B |
Rustic |
Cupha erymanthis |
| |
3e |
B |
Tamil Yeoman |
Cirrochroa thais |
| |
4 |
B |
Chestnut-streaked Sailer |
Neptis jumbah |
| |
1 |
B |
Common Sailer |
Neptis hylas |
| |
4 |
B |
Common Lascar |
Pantoporia hordonia |
| |
4 |
B |
Blackvein Sergeant |
Athyma ranga |
| |
3 |
B |
Common Sergeant |
Athyma perius |
| |
3m |
B |
Commander |
Limenitis procris |
| |
4m |
B |
Clipper |
Parthenos sylvia |
| |
3 |
B |
Grey Count |
Tanaecia lepidea |
| |
4w |
B |
Common Baron |
Euthalia aconthea |
| |
4w |
B |
Gaudy Baron |
Euthalia lubentina |
| |
5w |
B |
Red-spot Duke |
Dolpha evelina |
| |
5 |
B |
Angled Castor |
Ariadne ariadne |
| |
4 |
B |
Common Castor |
Ariadne merione |
| |
4 |
B |
Lemon Pansy |
Junonia lemonias |
| |
3 |
B |
Peacock Pansy |
Junonia almana |
| |
2 |
B |
Grey Pansy |
Junonia atlites |
| |
1 |
B |
Chocolate Pansy (Soldier)
|
Precis iphita |
| |
2m |
B |
Great Eggfly |
Hypolimnas bolina |
| |
1m |
B |
Danaid Eggfly |
Hypolimnas misippus |
| |
5m |
B |
Autumn Leaf |
Doleschallia bisaltide |
| |
3** |
B |
South Indian Blue Oakleaf |
Kallima horsfieldi |
| |
1m* |
B |
Glassy Tiger |
Parantica aglea (form aglea) |
| |
3m |
B |
Blue Tiger |
Tirumala limniace |
| |
2m |
B |
Plain Tiger |
Danaus chrysippus |
| |
2m |
B |
Striped/Common Tiger |
Danaus genutia |
| |
1 |
B |
Common Indian Crow |
Euploea core |
| |
3me |
B |
Malabar Tree Nymph |
Idea malabarica |
| Lycaenidae: |
2 |
B |
Plum Judy |
Abisara echerius |
| |
4m |
B |
Common Pierrot |
Castalius rosimon |
| |
4m |
B |
Common Hedge Blue |
Acytolepis puspa |
| |
3m |
B |
Quaker |
Neopithecops zalmora |
| |
3 |
B |
Dark Grass Blue |
Zizeeria lysimon |
| |
2 |
B |
Plains Cupid |
Chilades pandava |
| |
4m |
B |
Dark Cerulean |
Jamides bochus |
| |
2m |
B |
Common Lineblue |
Prosotas nora |
| |
3 |
B |
Red Pierrot |
Talicada nyseus |
| |
5 |
B |
Common Imperial |
Cheritra freja |
| |
5m** |
B |
Monkey Puzzle |
Rathinda amor |
| |
5 |
B |
Common Imperial |
Zeltus amasa |
| Hesperiidae: |
2m |
B |
Brown Awl |
Badamia exclamationis |
| |
2m |
B |
Common Spotted Flat |
Celaenorrhinus leucocera |
| |
4m |
B |
Immaculate/Suffused Snow Flat |
Tagiades gana |
| |
3m |
B |
Water Snow Flat |
Tagiades litigiosa |
| |
3m |
B |
Fulvous Pied Flat |
Pseudocoladenia dan |
| |
3m |
B |
Tricolour Pied Flat |
Pseudocoladenia indrani |
| |
4m |
B |
Golden Angle |
Odontoptilum ransonnetti |
| |
3m |
B |
Grass Demon |
Udaspes folus |
| |
4w |
B |
Giant Redeye |
Gangara thyrsis |
| |
3m |
B |
Indian/Common Dartlet |
Oriens goloides |
| |
3m |
B |
Pseudomaesa/Common Dart |
Potanthus pseudomaes |
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