[ Bengia Ajum ]
MECHUKHA, 24 Jun: For the first time, researchers have recorded the presence of a new swallowtail butterfly species in India, sighted here in Shi-Yomi district.
This SinoTibetan butterfly, also known as the Chinese rose windmill (Papilio genestieri), was first documented around 1918 in Yunnan and Sichuan (southwestern China). Sightings have also been reported in countries like Laos and northern Vietnam.
On 31 May this year, during a routine high-altitude butterfly survey, the team photographed this beautiful species in India for the first time, much to the delight of butterfly enthusiasts. The discovery marks the inaugural record of this species in Mechukha. The research team included Dr Monsoon J Gogoi from ATREE (Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment), PCCF Itanagar Research Officer Tajum Yomcha, Yumlam Benjamin Bida from ATREE, and Mechukha Tourism Information Officer Duyir Buni Yedi.
Another swallowtail known in India, the rose windmill (Byasa latreillei), is widely distributed across Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim, northwest Bengal, Bhutan, and western Arunachal Pradesh. Dr Gogoi explained that the Chinese rose windmill differs from its cousin. “It has a blackish (rather than grey) ground colour, additional dark-pink submarginal spots with scales instead of clear light-pink spots, and always shows four prominent white discal spots on the lower wing,” said Dr Gogoi, who is a butterfly expert.
The sighting has excited researchers. “This finding highlights the need to promote butterfly tourism and conservation awareness for the winged wonders of Mechukha valley,” said Tajum Yomcha. He described Mechukha as a haven for butterflies. “The Kaiser-I-Hind, a very rare swallowtail, was also photographed here in 2023 by local butterfly lovers, and many more new species await discovery in the region. Proper documentation is urgently needed,” he added.
