Chandrapur: Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) has launched LepiScan-Butterfly ID, an AI-powered mobile application that can identify more than 1,000 butterfly species without internet connectivity, strengthening efforts to document biodiversity and promote citizen science.Developed by TATR’s team, LepiScan uses an on-device machine-learning model to identify butterflies from photographs captured through a phone camera or selected from the gallery.Its offline capability makes the app particularly useful for researchers, guides, students and nature enthusiasts exploring areas with poor or no network connectivity.The app’s database covers over 1,000 butterfly species found across India. Users can also report unidentified species and submit photographs, helping expand the database and generate valuable information for conservation planning.The app is available free on Google Play Store. Users who contribute 25 additional butterfly entries will receive a complimentary safari as an incentive for citizen participation, said officials.The app was launched by forest minister Ganesh Naik on the eve of International Tiger Day in the presence of forest secretary Milind Mhaiskar, MITRA CEO Praveen Pardeshi, PCCF and head of forest force Shriniwas Rao and PCCF (Wildlife) MS Reddy.TATR field director Prabhu Nath Shukla said growing interest in wildlife beyond tigers increased the need for accessible species identification tools. The in-house development of LepiScan, he said, was a significant milestone that would support long-term biodiversity conservation in remote forest landscapes.
