Guwahati: The forest landscape in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is home to 346 of Assam’s estimated 620 butterfly species, including rare, endemic and threatened varieties, highlighting the region’s rich biodiversity.The species have been documented in a special booklet on the butterflies of the Bodoland forest landscape, published by the BTC forest department and released by BTC chief executive member (CEM) Hagrama Mohilary on Saturday.Experts associated with the North East Butterfly Meet Network believe the number could eventually cross 400 because of the area’s unique geographical location. Species documented such as the Indian Cupid (Everes lacturnus assamica) and White-line Bushbrown (Mycalesis malsara), seldom found elsewhere in the northeast, highlight the exceptional ecological importance of the Manas landscape.The BTC region is considered the only ecological corridor in the northeast where butterfly species from the Eastern Himalayas, the Indo-Malayan region and the Indo-Gangetic plains coexist. However, the department cautioned that habitat degradation, deforestation and climate change continue to pose serious threats to many endemic species.The publication is the result of years of field surveys and scientific documentation carried out by researchers from Bodoland University in collaboration with the North East Butterfly Meet Network and other regional butterfly experts.“The publication presents a checklist along with photographs of some of the common butterfly species recorded from the region, highlighting the extraordinary butterfly diversity of Bodoland and reinforcing the Council’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and nature-based tourism,” said Sonali Ghosh, head of the forest department for BTC.During the monsoon, butterfly hotspots such as Ultapani and Raimona witness spectacular mud-puddling gatherings, a behaviour through which butterflies extract essential minerals and nutrients to aid reproduction and survival.Experts said the Ultapani-Manas landscape supports rare butterfly species, including the endemic Yellow-crested Spangle (Papilio elephenor) and Swinhoe’s Flat (Celaenorrhinus zea). Other Eastern Himalayan species recorded from the area include Great Windmill (Byasa dasarada), Moore’s Cupid (Shijimia moorei), Mussoorie Bush Bob (Pedesta masuriensis) and Green Awlet (Burara vasutana). The landscape also supports Indo-Malayan species such as The Witch (Araotes lapithis).The Ultapani-Saralpara-Ripu landscape has earned recognition among butterfly enthusiasts as the “Land of Dancing Butterflies.” Naturalist and author Isaac Kehimkar has described it as one of India’s richest butterfly landscapes, where seasonal mud-puddling events draw hundreds of butterflies, many linked to the Bhutan foothills and seasonal migrations.“Other remarkable behaviours, including hill-topping, territorial patrolling, nectar feeding and host plant-based egg laying, reflect the ecological integrity and healthy microhabitats of the Bodoland forests,” butterfly expert Monsoon Gogoi said.
