PHOTOS: According to Hindu mythology when Lord Brahma – the creator, created this world he made the flowers, trees, fishes, animals and insects, but his personal favorites were the plants and the flowers. One day to his horror, Lord Brahma found all plants had been stripped off their leaves. Soon, he found the culprit. It was a caterpillar, who confessed that it was so hungry it could not resist eating all the green and tender leaves. Now the creator was angry and he cursed the caterpillar that from that day it would become like a stone with no legs, now wings, no mouth to eat! The caterpillar turned into a lifeless lump instantly, hanging from a branch. Soon the other animals could not bear to see the caterpillar’s condition and they requested the Lord to forgive the caterpillar. Brahma finally relented and changed the curse to last only for a few days, after which the caterpillar turned into a beauty with wings called the butterfly.

India’s biodiversity allows a vast number of different species of butterflies to thrive here. There are approximately 1800 species of butterflies found here of which almost 20 percent are endemic to this country.

Here is tip of the iceberg – seven of the many spectacular butterflies found in India,

1

Andaman Crow (Euploea andamanensis)

IUCN Red list Status – Vulnerable

Only found in Andaman & Nicobar Islands of India. The size and colour of this butterfly varies depending on where in Andaman they are found – South, North or Central Andaman.

Image courtesy Nikhil Bhopale

2

Tree Nymph butterfly (Idea malabarica)

IUCN Red list Status – Near Threatened

Found in Southern India especially the Western Ghats. It is one of the largest butterfly species of India, with wingspan up to 160 cm. Can be easily identified with black spots on off-white grey colored body, it has a gliding flight and habit to hover over a particular spot.

Image courtesy Jim, the photographer

3

Tamil lacewing (Cethosia nietneri)

IUCN Red list Status – Not evaluated

An endemic butterfly found in parts of the Western Ghats mountain range in India. Among the 332 butterfly species found in Western Ghats, 36 species are found nowhere else in the world.

Image courtesy Wikimedia

4

Orange oak leaf or dead leaf butterfly (Kallima inachus)

IUCN Red list Status – Least concern in India

Found all over north, north eastern, central and few parts of western India. Looks like a dead leaf when wings are closed but spectacular blue and orange colored patterns seen when wings are open.

Image courtesy flickr and silveroftheluna

5

Emperor of India butterfly aka – Kaiser-i-hind (Teinopalpus imperialis)

IUCN Red list Status – Near Threatened

This magnificent butterfly is found along the Eastern Himalayas (West Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam, Sikkim and Manipur) in India. It has a strong and fast flight. It usually flies at tree-top level but when there is strong morning sunlight it descends to sit on low vegetation. Although the butterfly is protected under Indian law it is hunted to be supplied to butterfly collectors.

Image courtesy wikipedia

6

Great windmill Swallowtail Butterfly (Byasa dasarada)

IUCN Red List Status – Not evaluated

Found in northern and north east India. The wavy tail wing with prominent red and white spots is what gives this butterfly its captivating beauty. The pupa or chrysallis of this butterfly is yellow green in colour with blue bands. The pupa squeaks when touched!

Image courtesy wikimedia

7

Callerebia dibangensis (Common name not known)

IUCN Red List Status – Not evaluated

Discovered first in 1987 by Purnendu Roy and scientifically declared as a new species in 2013, this is the only butterfly to have been named after the Dibang valley in Arunachal Prdesh – a known Mecca of butterflies of India.

Image courtesy focussingonwildlife

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