Butterflies of eastern Assam, India

Abstract

The paper provides information on butterfies sampled during random surveys from November 2014 to September2016 from eight reserve forest areas and Dehing-Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary, covering three districts (Tinsukhia, Dibrugarh & Sibasagar) in the eastern part of upper Assam which form part of the Indo-Burma hotspot. The survey revealed 237 species which included 33 species a listed as protected under various schedules of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and 58 species that have distribution restricted to the eastern Himalaya and northeastern India in India. An anotated list of 375 species of butterflies so far recorded from eastern Assam that includes a large number of very rare species (Indian Yellow-vein Lancer Pyroneura margherita; Grey-lined Lascar Pantoporia dindinga assamica; Assamese/Conjoined Lascar Pantoporia assamica; Bi-coloured Hedgeblue Udara selma cerima; Vinous Oakblue Arhopala athada aphade; Magnificent Oakblue Arhopala anarte; White Punch Dodona henrici; Pale Striped Dawnfly Capilia zennara; Andaman Yellowbanded Flat Celaenorrhinus andamanicus hanna; Sikkim Ace Halpe sikkima; Baby Swift Polytremis minuta; Maculate Lancer Salanoemia sala; Veined Palmer Hidari bhawani; Pallid Forester Lethe satyavati; Peal’s Palmfly Elymnias peali; Blue Baron Euthalia telchinia; Blue Nawab Polyura schreiber assamensis; Tytler’s Dull Oakblue Arhopala ace arata; Orchid Tit Hypolycaena othona othona; Purple Brown Tailless Oakblue Arhopala arvina ardea; Malayan Bushblue Arhopala ammon ariel and Broad-branded Brilliant Simiskina phalena harterti) along with their site and month of record, endemicity and relative abundance status in India, is provided.

Keywords

• endemic
• evergreen forests
• indo-burma hotspot
• northeastern india
• protected species
• rare.