Rare Monkey Puzzle butterfly spotted for first time in Kawal Tiger Reserve

Previously, this species has been recorded in parts of the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Odisha, and northeastern India, with only recent records emerging from Pench and Kanha Tiger Reserves in Central India.

Mancherial: In a welcome sign, a Monkey Puzzle butterfly (Rathindaamor) was sighted during a butterfly survey conducted in the Chennur region of the Kawal landscape for the first time on Friday, cheering forest officials and environment enthusiasts. This discovery marks the first-ever confirmed record of the species from the Kawal Tiger Reserve’s landscape.

Noted butterfly researcher, Dr Ramzan Virani, District Forest Officer, Shiv Aasheesh Singh, Forest divisional officer, Sarveshwar, along with Forest field staff carried out the departmental butterfly field survey at Chennur urban park on the outskirts of Kistampet village and spotted a single individual of the butterfly. They were inspecting the newly created butterfly garden and proposed butterfly conservatory at the Chennur urban park.

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The butterfly was observed basking on a sunlit patch along a woodland edge near semi-moist vegetation, showing characteristic features such as a coppery brown upperside and distinct tailed hindwings. The diagnostic “monkey face” pattern on the underside of the hindwings was clearly visible, confirming the identification as Rathinda amor.

Previously, this species has been recorded in parts of the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Odisha, and northeastern India, with only recent records emerging from Pench and Kanha Tiger Reserves in Central India.

The sighting at Chennur represents a notable range extension into the Deccan forest landscape of northern Telangana, suggesting that the species may be more widespread than previously documented.

According to the officials, over 100 butterfly species have been recorded in Kawal so far. The recording of the Monkey Puzzle butterfly is a good sign from the perspective of the environment and landscape of this region. It is an indicator of the habitat, reflecting the richness of the biodiversity of the landscape.

The Forest officials further said that this important record would be submitted to relevant biodiversity databases and state forest authorities for inclusion in the regional faunal documentation.