The News in Details:
- Recently, the state Cabinet of Arunachal Pradesh headed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu approved the large, brightly coloured Kaiser-i-Hind as the State butterfly. for the first time, the cabinet meeting was held outside State capital Itanagar at an unusual location-Pakke Tiger Reserve.
- In the meeting, the Cabinet also adopted the Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 declaration on climate change resilient and responsive Arunachal Pradesh aimed at lowering emissions and sustainable development.
About Kaiser-i-Hind:
- Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis) literally means Emperor of India. This butterfly with a 90120 mm wingspan is found in six States along the eastern Himalayas at elevations from 6,00010,000 feet in well-wooded terrain.
- This brightly coloured, elusive swallowtail butterfly carrying ‘India’ its name also flutters in Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and southern China.
- As per a butterfly expert, the species is confined to very few pockets of Arunachal Pradesh and could become extinct if not conserved. Hence, the State butterfly tag can help in the conservation of the butterfly species’ habitat. The first dead specimen of Kaiser-i-Hind was recorded in Sikkim in 2012.
- It was captured live on camera by a few participants during a butterfly-watching meet in Arunachal Pradesh’s Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in 2014.
Why Butterflies Matter?
- Butterflies are great bio-indicators of the ecosystem as they are highly sensitive to environmental conditions such as sunlight, temperature, humidity and rainfall patterns.
- They are central pollinators to many crops.
- In an ecosystem, they act as a food source to predators like birds, spiders, lizards and other animals.
- A butterfly’s beauty is like a flower and it makes us happy.
- Conserving butterflies will also conserve various bird species, crops and conserve the ecosystem as a whole.
Protected Areas of Arunachal Pradesh:
- Talle Wildlife Sanctuary (Protected area)
- Dihang Dibang Biosphere Reserve
- Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary
- Namdapha Tiger Reserve
- Mouling National Park
- Sessa Orchid Sanctuary(conjoins Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary)
- Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary
- Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary
- Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary
- Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary
Name of Some States:
- Tamil Nadu: Tamil Yeoman (Cirrochroa thais)
- Maharashtra: Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor)
- Uttarakhand: Common peacock( (Papilio bianor polyctor)
- Karnataka: Southern bird wings (Troides Minos)
- Kerala: Budha Mayoori (Malabar banded peacock)
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