Validation of the reported occurrence of <i>Tajuria maculate</i>, the Spotted Royal butterfly (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), in the Western Ghats, southwestern India, on the basis of two new records

Abstract

We report here two sightings of Tajuria maculata from Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary (Kodagu District, southwestern Karnataka) and Kottathalachimala (Kannur District, northern Kerala), southern Western Ghats, India. These sightings confirm the presence of this species in the Western Ghats, from where only a single specimen had been collected approximately 80 years ago with little information accompanying the specimen. This validation is important because the nearest known populations of this species are in the Eastern Himalaya and northeastern India, approximately 2,000km from the populations reported here. These sightings show that the species is firmly established in the Western Ghats, although it is rare and had gone unnoticed for many decades.