30 Jan 2023.
Introduction:
The butterfly population has been increasing in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in recent times. The state is called the nature trove and is known for its biodiversity. Recently, a new swallowtail butterfly was spotted in the state. It is called the Noble Helen. The species does not occur in India. Its origin is in China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The butterfly has been disappearing in these countries and was recently spotted in India.
Butterflies
The butterflies occur in all parts of the world except Antarctica. There are 18,500 butterfly species in the world.
- Of these 775 are Nearctic. The Nearctic includes tropical, subtropical, arctic, and temperate regions of North America.
- 7,700 are neo-tropical. Neotropical regions include eight biological terrains. They are south America, the Caribbean islands, Central America, Yucatan Peninsula, southern North America, southern Florida, and central Florida.
- 1,575 are Palearctic. Palearctic includes Eurasia, North Africa, and Arabian Peninsula
- 3650 are Afro-tropical. This includes Madagascar, Iran, the western Indian Ocean, and Pakistan
- 4800 are in Australian regions
Butterflies in India
In India, butterflies occur in Eastern Himalayas, Western Ghats, and in hills in the India – Myanmar border. These friends of humanity are becoming extinct mainly because of the loss of habitat.