Arunachal Pradesh’s Leparada district has a newly confirmed butterfly species, Euthalia malaccana.
This butterfly was once thought to be a subspecies but is now recognized as its own species.
It is mostly found in Southeast Asia, like Thailand and the Malay Peninsula.
Its presence in India was uncertain until now.
Citizen scientists confirmed the butterfly in Arunachal Pradesh through photos and field studies.
Their findings were published in an international butterfly journal.
The butterfly was spotted near Basar at about 685 meters elevation.
Five butterflies were documented between 2023 and 2024.
Identification was based on unique wing patterns, like blue spots on males and larger spots on females.
This discovery helps improve knowledge of butterfly diversity in Northeast India.
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