Himalayan butterfly known as Golden Birdwing (Troides aeacus) has been discovered as India’s largest butterfly after 88 years.
- It has replaced an unknown specimen which a british army officer Brigadier Evans had recorded in 1932.
Key Points
- Discovery:
- The female was recorded from Didihat in Uttarakhand, the male was from the Wankhar Butterfly Museum in Shillong, Meghalaya.
- Characteristics:
- With a wingspan of 194 mm, the female of the species is marginally larger than the Southern Birdwing (190 mm).
- Earlier, the largest Indian butterfly that was recorded in 1932 was an individual of the Southern Birdwing (Troides minos), which was then treated as a subspecies of the Common Birdwing (Troides helena).
- However, the specimen that Evans measured was unknown and no other butterfly measured as much as the 190 mm that he recorded.
- The male Golden Birdwing is much smaller at 106 mm.
- With a wingspan of 194 mm, the female of the species is marginally larger than the Southern Birdwing (190 mm).
Author : Vaishnavi