A double-spotted flat (Celaenorrhinus pyrrha) butterfly found in Sikkim. The State is home to about 700 species of butterflies.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
GUWAHATI
A race to watch butterflies has been one of the highlights of the celebrations marking the 50th year of Sikkim’s Statehood.
Sikkim transitioned from a protectorate to India’s 22nd State on May 16, 1975.
In Frames: Butterfly effect
Dance in the park: A common mormon (Papilio polytes) male, left, performs a dance near a female during a courtship display at the Butterfly Park enclosure.
Holding on: A common crow butterfly (Euploea core) larva crawls under a leaf. The
Butterfly Park is an ideal breeding ground for these fascinating insects.
Data trove: Visitors at the museum that
provides comprehensive
information on the butterflies inside the
Bannerughatta Biological Park in Bengaluru.
Data trove: Visitors at the
museum that provides
comprehensive information on the butterflies
inside the Bannerughatta
Biological Park in Bengaluru.
Hunt for nectar: Belenois aurota, commonly
known as the pioneer white, is a small- to medium-size Pierid butterfly
Wide variety: Dark blue tigers (Tirumala septentrionis) and double-branded crows (Euploea sylvester).
Bold pattern: A lime swallowtail (Papilio demoleus), an extremely successful invader, in flight.
First flight: Butterflies of the Pieridae family being released into the conservatory dome.
Caring hands: A lab assistant prepares feed for the larvae, after cleaning the rearing trays in the chrysalis chamber.
A big flap: An aerial view of the Butterfly Park located amidst the lush green of the Bannerughatta Biological Park
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“We started the 16-day Butterthon, the first-of-its-kind event specific to butterflies, on May 1. This is not a test of speed but a leisurely race to spot the ecologically important butterflies across Sikkim,” Sonam Wangchuk Lepcha, the president of the Butterfly Society of Sikkim-TPCF, said.
TPCF expands to Thamblyok Putali Charphemba Famiyap, which, respectively, translates into butterfly in four languages in the Himalayan State – Lepcha, Nepali, Limboo, and Bhutia.
Several lepidopterists, ornithologists, and citizen scientists from other parts of India and abroad joined the event scheduled to conclude on May 16, marking the completion of Sikkim’s 50th year as a State. The participants include Indian Peter Lobo, American Joseph Coleman Thompson Jr, and Sri Lankan Indika Upul Jayatissa.
Mr. Lepcha said that foreigners have, for the first time, visited Sikkim specifically to watch butterflies.
Butterfly enthusiasts involved in the 16-day Butterthon in Sikkim.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The Butterfly Society of Sikkim-TPCF said the event had been organised to promote butterfly watching as a new form of tourism in the State and contribute to the celebration of Sikkim’s “golden year”.
Members of the Butterfly Society have been helping visitors spot and document butterflies in the 7,086 sq. km State’s jungles and high-altitude meadows.
About 700 species of butterflies, almost half the number recorded across India, thrive in Sikkim. Of these, some 420 species or 61% of the butterflies in the State are concentrated in the 78 sq. km Dzongu area adjoining the Khangchendzonga National Park and Biosphere Reserve.
Published – May 14, 2025 09:59 pm IST