New Species Of Butterfly Discovered In Western Ghats After 33 Years

The Western Ghats mountain range in India is a biodiversity hotspot region, with hundreds of butterfly species. Recently, a new butterfly has been added to the list found in the Western Ghats, bringing the number to 337. As per a press release, dated January 13, the new silver line butterfly namely “Cigaritis Meghamalaiensis” was discovered in the Megamalai division of Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve. The butterfly is named after the region, Megamalai, which means “cloud mountain”. Last week IAS officer Supriya Sahu shared a photo of butterfly species on X.

In the caption, Sahu wrote, “There is a new kid on the block and it’s a Blue Butterfly – Researchers in Tamil Nadu’s Srivilliputhur Tiger Reserve in Megamalai have discovered a new species of Silverline butterfly namely ‘Cigaritis meghamalaiensis’ Dr. Kalesh Sadasivam,Thiru Ramasamy Kamaya and Dr.C.P. Rajkumar led the effort from Vanam, an NGO based in Theni. It’s after 33 years that a new species of Butterfly has been discovered in Western Ghats. With this discovery the total number of butterflies in Western Ghats will rise to 337 species, including 40 Western Ghats endemics TN forest dept new butterfly.”

Commenting on it, an X user wrote, “Blue butterflies are rare, and when they appear either in person, in dreams, or in repeated synchronistic images, they point you toward joy. It means good fortune is on the horizon. You’ve been noble and honorable, and your efforts are to be rewarded kudos Supriya ji.” Another asserted, “Hi blue silverline butterfly, welcome to our state of TN, I hope you will stay here for a while and flourish all over, our wonderful state…”

An X user observed, “It has the false antennae on the wings at rear!” Making a similar observation, another person wrote, “Wow what an amazingly gorgeous new discovery !!! The weird thing is it looks more like a moth than a butterfly with feathery wings, straight antennae and connected looking wings…that stout body also makes it moth-like.”

Dr Kalesh Sadasivan, a naturalist who was part of the discovery, spoke to The Times of India about why this butterfly is different from other species and said, “The discal and post-discal bands on the underside of the forewing of the adult butterfly is conjoined and lying parallel from their origin at the costa which is a unique feature that distinguishes the new species from all other Cigaritis occurring in peninsular India and Sri Lanka.”

Dr CP Rajkumar, the founder of Vanam Trust, mentioned, “The discovery reiterates the possibility of discovering new species which may have sought refuge in the montane sholas and cloud forests, which are under severe anthropogenic stress.”