Over 60 butterfly species recorded in Arunachal Pradesh meet

Over 60 species of butterflies were documented during the seventh edition of the Ziro Butterfly Meet in Lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh, officials of the forest department said on Tuesday.

The three-day event that concluded on Monday was held at the Tale Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS), and organised by NGO NgunuZiro in association with the Tale Wildlife Division and the Hapoli Forest Division during the ongoing National Wildlife Week.

The siginificant species recorded during the meet include the "extremely rare Tytlers' Treebrown, the Bhutan Treebrown and the Scarce Evening Brown", which are legally protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, they said.

The Tytlers' Treebrown was last photographed in 2010, the officials said.

The highlight of the meet was the plantation of nectaring plants in Pange Camp and tagging of several host plants in the area.

During the inaugural session on October 3, Division Forest Officer Abhinav Kumar had emphasised on the importance of community participation in conservation activities.

The butterfly meet, which has seen participation from India and abroad in previous editions, was organised with only 20 members this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, they added.