About Banded Royal Butterfly:
- It is a species of lycaenid or blue butterfly found in parts of South and Southeast Asia.
- Scientific Name: Rachana jalindra
- Habitat:
- Found in forests, particularly near the Western Ghats, Northeast India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia.
- Prefers dense vegetation and can often be seen resting on leaves.
- There are three subspecies of R. jalindra found in India, including j. macanita (distributed from southwest India to Goa), R. j. tarpina (distributed in the Andamans) and R. j. indra (distributed from Orissa to lower West Bengal and Bangladesh).
- Presently the subspecies j. indra is recorded from Assam, Meghalaya, and Jharkhand.
- Appearance:
- Upper Side: Males have a deep purple or bluish sheen with dark brown borders, while females are more brownish with white markings.
- Under Side: Pale brown with distinct white bands running across the wings, giving it the "banded" appearance.
- It is legally protected under Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife (Protected) Act, 1972.
Key Facts about Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary (SWL):
- It is situated in the state of Tripura, spanning an area of approximately 18.53 sq.km.
- It is divided into five sections, basically to segregate the different types of animals living here. They are the carnivore section, primate section, ungulate section, reptile section, and aviary section.
- Clouded Leopard National Park, established in 2007, is a part of SWL.
- It also has two natural lakes, namely Abasarika and Amrit Sagar.
- Vegetation: Moist deciduous forest
- Flora: The sanctuary has no less than 456 plant species; many kinds of bambooand a variety of grasses and medicinal plants also grow in the sanctuary.
- Fauna: It is the habitat of different species of primates like Rhesus macaque, Pigtailed macaque,Capped langur, Spectacled langur, Slow loris and several other wild animals like Leopard, Clouded leopard, Jungle fowl, Civets, Barking, Deer, Wild pig, etc.
- The crab-eating mongoose (which was last seen in the 1930s) has also been revived here.
