New butterfly species, Zographetus mathewi, found in Western Ghats

A group of lepidopterists have recognized a brand new butterfly species within the Western Ghats, one of many world’s eight “hottest hotspots” of organic variety.

Named Zographetus mathewi, this newly described skipper butterfly belongs to the household Hesperiidae and provides a brand new entry to the genus ZographetusWatson, 1893, making it the fifteenth species on this oriental group and the fifth to be recorded from India.

The species, endemic to the low-elevation forests of Kerala, was recognized after the researchers noticed larvae feeding on Aganope thyrsiflora (Fabaceae), a leguminous vine. Though initially resembling the extensively distributed Z. ogygia, detailed research revealed key variations in wing venation and genital construction, thereby prompting its classification as a brand new species.

The species, printed within the peer-reviewed journal Entomon, was found by scientists from the Travancore Nature Historical past Society (TNHS), the Institute of Tropical Analysis, Ecology and Conservation (INTREC) Thiruvananthapuram, and the Zoological Survey of India.

“Initially, we thought we had encountered Zographetus ogygia, a recognized species from Western Ghats,” defined Kalesh Sadasivan, the lead creator and butterfly researcher from TNHS. “However detailed morphological and genitalia research revealed that this was, in reality, a totally new species.”

George Mathew

The brand new species is called in honour of George Mathew, a famend Indian entomologist and former Head of the Entomology Division, Kerala Forest Analysis Institute. Its proposed frequent title is Sahyadri Noticed Flitter in reference to the Western Ghats, regionally often called Sahyadri.

Zographetus mathewi is a part of the Zographetus satwa species-group, characterised by distinctive options comparable to wing venation patterns and secondary sexual traits, together with swollen forewing veins in males. It may be additional distinguished by a basal hair tuft on the underside of the forewing, yellow-ochre scaling on the hindwing underside, and distinct genitalia buildings in each men and women.

Regardless of its rarity – just one grownup was noticed within the wild throughout years of fieldwork – the researchers discovered a number of larvae and pupae in forested areas throughout Kerala, together with Kallar, Shendurney, Edamalayar and Nilambur, all under 600 metres elevation. This means that whereas grownup sightings are extraordinarily uncommon, the species could have a broader distribution inside the Western Ghats, although it stays endemic to the area.