05 Jun, 2024

Peacock Royal Butterfly Spotted at Pench Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra

An exceptional new species of Peacock Royal Butterfly has been sighted in the Pench Tiger Reserve of central India which adds essence to the park's biodiversity. Tajuria cippus has a diversified and vast habitat in India, with locations including Greater Mumbai, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Peacock Royal Butterfly Captured on Camera of the Pench Tiger Reserve

According to earlier butterfly surveys, the Peacock Royal Butterfly was never sighted before in the park region. During the recent site visit for the camera installation of a tiger project in the Nagpur district of Maharashtra’s Pench forest, a stunning species of peacock royal butterfly known as ‘Tajuria Cippus’ was captured coincidently. Four to five specimens of the butterfly species were observed on a Banyan tree at Mama Tower, located at an elevation of 438 metres above sea level. The species belongs to the ‘Lycaenid’ family and is found widely across the Asia continent.

Wildlife conservationists and forest officials of Satpuda Foundation witnessed that the sightings of new species are adding to the reserve's flora and fauna hence becoming a reason behind the flourishing of the wildlife tourism industry. It is also a noteworthy record for the Pench’s Tiger Reserve as it is the first-time observation of the Tajuria Cippus’s presence in the park region. The butterflies were recognised based on their distinctive wing patterns and colours, and standard butterfly observation techniques were followed after the observation; the identification was verified using photographic evidence.

Pench Tiger Reserve News Inputs.