- SFG FRC 2027 | Program starts from 19th Dec. 2026 | Admissions open for Entrance Test Click Here to know more →
- Prelims Test Series (PTS) for Prelims 2027 starts 11th Oct. 2026 Click Here to know more →
- [Pre-order] Ethics Redbook 3rd Edition: Delivery starts from 10th October onwards Click Here to Read More →
- 21 Sept. | GS Advance Program (GSAP) for UPSC 2027 Mains starts from 11th Oct. Click Here to Read More →
Source: The post is based on the article “White tufted royal butterfly, a rare species, found in Kerala’s Kannur” published in TOI on 12th January 2023
What is the News?
A team of butterfly observers and researchers have found white tufted royal butterfly, a rare butterfly species in Kannur, Kerala.
What is White tufted royal butterfly?
White tufted royal butterfly is a rare butterfly species.
It is protected under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
The wingspan of the butterfly is just 32-40 mm. Its larvae feed on Scurrula parasitica, a plant belonging to the Loranthaceae family.
The species had been spotted in Agasthyakoodam in 2017 and the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary in 2018.
Significance of finding: There were eight species of the butterfly. While two are common, the others are rare. Since we are able to get the egg, the life cycle of the butterfly can be documented.
Threats: The survival of such rare species is under severe threat and steps should be taken to protect the hills.
