Conjoined Silverline butterfly

Jan. 14, 2024

Researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) found a new butterfly species in Karnataka’s Bramhagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Kodagu.

About Conjoined Silverline butterfly:

  • The butterfly species -- Conjoined Silverline (Cigaritis conjuncta) found from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India. 
  • Features
    • The new butterfly is the size of a one rupee coin but is invaluable to conservationists.
    • It is endemic to mid-elevation evergreen forests of the Western Ghats.
    • It has fused spots and bands on the underside of wings, and shiny silver lines in the centre of those bands.
    • The two sites where they have been located are at an elevation of 900 meters (Iruppu Falls) and 1,300 meters (Honey Valley).
  • India houses more than 1,400 species of butterflies, but very few new ones have been discovered in the last few decades.

Key points about the Bramhagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

  • It is situated in southern side in Kodagu district of Karnataka.
  • It is named after the highest peak of the sanctuary is called Brahmagiri Hill.
  • River: River Laxmantirtha, a very important tributary of river Cauvery originates in it.
  • Vegetation: It is covered with semi evergreen to wet evergreen forests with high altitude grassland shoal forests.
  • Flora: Rosewood, Nandi, Mathi, Honne, Sura Honne, White Cedar, Red Cedar and Saldhupa etc.
  • Fauna: Tiger, Elephants, and Indian Gaur are the big mammals commonly found here.

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