77 new butterfly species in Matheran

77 new butterfly species in Matheran

• After a long gap of 125 years, scientists have found 140 rare species of butterflies, including 77 new ones, in Matheran. The last time butterflies have codified in this eco­sensitive zone was in 1894, when a researcher identified 78 species
• Finding the forgotten gems: Revisiting the butterflies of Matheran after 125 years’, a research paper by scientists from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Somaiya Vidya Vihar University published in the Biodiversity Data Journal, provides a glimpse of the rare butterflies in the hill station.
• Researchers observed a strong seasonal variation in butterfly diversity. The maximum diversity (125) of butterflies was recorded during winter, while the least (80) during monsoon. The high similarity of butterfly species composition was observed between the pairs of sites studied, tending towards perfect nestedness
• The paper has listed the species surveyed between 2011 and 2019.
• the first dedicated checklist for the butterflies of Matheran after J.A. Betham (1894). He listed 78 species of butterflies, combining the list of sixty butterflies provided by Smith (1882) and the list of butterflies recorded by him between April and May 1892
• The team used a barcode system to denote seasons and the activities of the butterflies. 
• They hope this system will help biologists studying butterflies present such data concisely and effectively

Source: The Hindu