Rare “Paintbrush Swift Butterfly” discovered in Himachal Pradesh

Rare “Paintbrush Swift Butterfly” discovered in Himachal Pradesh

 

Important for Prelims:

Paintbrush Swift Butterfly, Jangli Bhattiyat Project, Lepidopterist Frederick Moore, Dhauladhar Mountain Range, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (Schedule IV) in India, Biodiversity

Important for Main Exam:

Projects run by the state for the conservation of various butterfly species, reasons for extinction, conservation status.

23 October 2023

In News:

  • Recently, the Paintbrush Swift butterfly has been discovered, for the first time, by the State Forest Department in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
  • 120 species of butterflies have been documented by the Jangli Bhattiyat project launched by the state forest department in 2022.
  • Uncommon species documented under this project include Anomalous Nawab, Blank Swift, Tailed Jay and Siren.
  • Himachal Pradesh is currently home to 25% of the butterfly species found in India.

Paintbrush Swift Butterfly (Baoris farri)

About:

  • Baoris farrii is a butterfly species in the family Hesperiidae, commonly known as the paintbrush swift.
  • This species was discovered in the eastern Himalayas in 1878, but was never photographed before in Himachal Pradesh.
  • This butterfly was first described by lepidopterist Frederick Moore in the eastern Himalayas 145 years ago.
  • It is identified on the basis of two different locations in the upper forewing cell.
  • Butterflies of this species eat bamboo and some other grass species as food.

Habitat:

  • Its habitat is distributed in North-East, Central and South India, and is rare in Uttarakhand.
  • This species of butterfly is seen on the lower hills of Dhauladhar mountain range.
  • Dhauladhar mountain range extends in the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. It is the main tourist destination of the middle or lesser Himalayas.

Causes for species decline:

  • The major reasons for the decline in butterfly population are habitat loss, lack of larval host plants, increase in pesticide use, deforestation and climate change.

Conservation status:

  • Presently this species of butterfly is legally protected in India under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
  • This Act provides a legal framework for the conservation of various species of wild animals and plants, management of their habitats, regulation and control of trade in wild animals, plants and their products.
  • The Act also lists the schedules of plants and animals that are provided with different levels of protection and monitoring by the government.

Efforts for conservation

  • The discovery of the Paintbrush Swift in Himachal Pradesh underlines the importance of habitat conservation.
  • Urgent conservation efforts are needed, including establishment of butterfly parks and conservation reserves, butterfly rearing or breeding centers and plantations of native host plant species.
  • Conservation initiatives should focus on high-altitude butterfly species that face threats from habitat destruction, with their numbers having declined significantly in recent years.
  • Creating awareness about the importance of butterflies through community participation is important for their conservation.

Source: T.H.

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Mains Exam Question

Discuss the state-run project for conservation of various butterfly species, the reasons for their extinction and their conservation status.