NOBLE'S
HELEN - ENVIRONMENT
News:
Noble’s Helen: Arunachal
Pradesh yields India’s newest butterfly
What's
in the news?
●
A swallow tail butterfly disappearing from
its previously known ranges from Myanmar and southern China to Vietnam has been
recorded for the first time in India.
Key
takeaways:
●
Three butterfly enthusiasts - Atanu Bose,
Loren Sonowal and Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi have recorded the “extremely rare” Noble’s Helen (Papilio noblei) from three
locations in the Namdapha National Park
of Arunachal Pradesh between September 2019 and September 2021.
Noble's
Helen:
●
The Noble’s Helen, closest to the Papilio Antonio
from the Philippines.
●
It is characterised by a much large dorsal white spot.
Habitat:
●
It is once common in the montane forest at
moderate elevations in northern Thailand.
●
It is also reported from Myanmar, Yunnan
and Hubai regions of China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Significance:
●
Butterflies are considered vital indicators representing the state of
biodiversity and key ecosystem functions.