In news– Recently, the species of butterfly, now named the Chocolate-bordered Flitter, was found in Sikkim’s Dzongu, the ‘land of butterflies’.
About the Chocolate-bordered Flitter-
- It carries the scientific name Zographetus dzonguensis which is named after Dzongu in north Sikkim.
- Its closest relatives are Zographetus pangi in Guangdong, and Zographetus hainanensis in Hainan, both in southeastern China, close to Hong Kong.
- This species is a golden yellow butterfly with brown borders and spots.
- The physical appearance of the species differs slightly and the internal structures of the males also differ slightly.
- Dzongu, a Lepcha protected area in North Sikkim, is a biodiversity hotspot.
- Its richness in butterflies had already been recorded way back in the mid-19th century.
- It is bounded by the Teesta River in the south-east, Tholung Chu River in the north-east and by mighty mountains in the west. It borders the Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve.
National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore-
- It is a research centre specialising in biological research.
- It was founded in 1992.
- It is a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research under the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India.
- The mandate of NCBS is basic and interdisciplinary research in the frontier areas of biology.
Source: The Hindu
