PAINTBRUSH
SWIFT BUTTERFLY - ENVIRONMENT
News:
Recently,
the paintbrush swift butterfly has been photographed and documented for the
first time in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district.
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It is a butterfly species of the
Hesperiidae family.
●
The species has never been photographed in
Himachal Pradesh since its discovery
in 1878.
●
This is the first time that we have
photographed and documented it.
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It was first described by lepidopterist
Frederic Moore more than 145 years ago.
●
It is identified based on two separated
spots in the upper forewing cell.
● The species’ larvae feed on bamboo and some other grass species.
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Habitat:
Its habitat is distributed in northeast, central and south India, and rare in
Uttarakhand.
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Threats:
Habitat loss and scarcity of larval host plants are major causes of the decline
in the butterfly population. An increase in pesticide use, deforestation and
climate change.
●
Conservation
status: This species is legally protected in India under Schedule IV of the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972.