In news– The rare butterfly Palm King was spotted for the first time in Tamil Nadu.
About the butterfly-
- Palmking (Amathusia phidippus) butterfly is characterised by its brown colour and dark bands and is described as reclusive, mostly resting in the shade.
- It was first recorded in South India by British scientist H.S.Ferguson in 1891.
- This is the 321st species of butterfly found in Tamil Nadu among the 1,500 species in India.
- It belongs to the Nymphalidae subfamily and feeds on palm, coconut and calamus varieties of plants.
- This butterfly is widely distributed across parts of India, Myanmar, Indo China, Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand.
- In March 2020, another rare butterfly species the Spotted Royal was rediscovered and recorded after a century in the Nilgiris.
Source: The Hindu
