Vagrant Butterfly discovered in Bastar
| Date :05-Apr-2019 |
By Roshan Chachane RAIPUR;
Highlighting the rich biodiversity of the forests in Bastar, two Chhattisgarh-based wildlife experts have announced the discovery of Vagrant Butterfly (VAGRANS EGISTA) residing in the Kurandi Range of Kanger Valley National Park with the publishing of a report in a science journal Bionotes. A team of Biodiversity Researcher Anupam Singh Sisodia and Ornithologist Ravi Naidu had undertaken the surveys on July 24 and 25, 2018 in the Kurandi Range of Kanger Valley National Park.
The two researchers traversed through the randomly chosen densely forested and heterogeneous terrains, with a high probability of stumbling across the butterflies. Kurandi is a thickset jungle mainly comprising of Sal trees and Bamboo grass as the major part of vegetation coupled with substantial thickets. As the duo surveyed along amidst the intermittent thunderstorms battering the forests, they managed to photograph a Vagrant on the damp forest track with a kaleidoscope of Puddling Lineblues (Prosotas sp), Cupids (Chilades sp) and Pierrots (Castalius sp) on scat. Since the genus is not known to migrate, so in all likelihood that the Vagrant spotted was from resident population.
Anupam Sisodia told The Hitavada, Presence of diverse species of Butterfly signifies the overall health of the ecosystem of the forest. Findings also reinforced the Chhattisgarh’s position has a crucial junction between the Himalayas and the Eastern Ghats. There are total 148 documented butterfly species, out of which credit for discovery of 12 new species namely Chestnut Bob (Lambrix Salasal), Indian Sunbeam (Curetis thetis), Fluffy Tit (Zeltus), Common Lineblue (Prosotas Nora), Bright Babul Blue (Azanus Ubaldus), Common Quaker (Neopithecops Zalmora), Malayan (Megisba Malaya), Lime Blue (Chilades Lajus), Double Branded Crow (Euploea Sylvester), Anomalous Nawab (Charaxes Agrarius), Plain Tawny Rajah (Charaxes Psaphon) and the Vagrant goes to Anupam Singh Sisodia. With so many new species being discovered, Kanger Valley, as well as so many other forests in Bastar, deserves the UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Announcing the discovery of Vagrant in Central India. This becomes the 148th butterfly to be reported from Chhattisgarh and has opened up doors to many leading questions. The discovery of the Chhattisgarh population suggests that the peninsular Indian and Himalayan populations of the species might be linked via the reported population in Odisha and the Eastern Ghats.