Butterflies of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary

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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