Context
A new species of Silverline butterfly has been identified in Karnataka’s Bramhagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Kodagu by a team of scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS-TIFR) in Bengaluru.
About conjoined silverline butterfly
- This unique species, named Cigaritis conjunctiva or the “conjoined Silverline”, was first spotted in 2008 but came under extensive research in 2021.
- The researchers found five male and four female specimens of the conjoined silverline butterfly in Honey Valley, Kodagu district of Karnataka.
- India houses more than 1,400 species of butterflies, but very few new ones have been discovered in the last few decades.
Feature:
The new butterfly is the size of a one-rupee coin but is invaluable to conservationists because of the endemic to mid-elevation evergreen forests of the Western Ghats.
- The two sites where they have been located are at an elevation of 900 meters (Iruppu Falls) and 1,300 meters (Honey Valley).
On the upperside, nearly half of the top wing is black, and there’s a shiny blue color on the lower wings.
- There’s an orange patch with two black spots on the lower wings. The outer edge of the top wing doesn’t have any orange markings.
On the underside, which is the side of the wings facing down, bands of color are visible.
- The bands on the top wings are fused without separation, and the lower wings have spots that are connected to form broad bands with irregular outlines.
- The underside also features bands with silver lines down the center and thin black borders along the edges.
Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary
- The Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the southern part of Kodagu district, Karnataka, India.
It’s named after the majestic Brahmagiri Hill, the highest peak in the sanctuary.
- It serves as a cradle for the River Laxmantirtha, a crucial tributary of the mighty Cauvery.
- The sanctuary is home to a fascinating array of flora, including rosewood, Nandi, math, honor, sura honor, white cedar, red cedar, and sadhu.
- Brahmagiri lies in its diverse fauna like tigers, elephants, and Indian gaurs, who roam freely amidst the dense forests.