New butterfly species named ‘Banded Tit’ found in Arunachal Pradesh

A new tiny butterfly species christened Banded Tit (Hypolycaena Narada) has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh.
It was discovered and is denizen of low-lying evergreen forests of the Changlang district of the state which is part of the one of the biodiversity hotspot of World.

• Interesting life cycle: The adult butterflies of this species live only for approximately 2 weeks in month of March every year.
• Remaining year, they spend in a dormant state in the form of larval or pupal stages.
• It feed primarily on bird-droppings along cool streams in the forests.

However, much of its biology such as its larval host plants, breeding behaviour and precise habitat requirements are still unknown.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2015