CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Big flap: golden birdwing

is India’s largest butterfly
It dethroned a specimen found by a British Brigadier in 1932
RAHUL KARMAKAR
GUWAHATI
A Himalayan butterfly
named golden birdwing is
now India’s largest, a record
the southern birdwing held
for 88 years.
With a wingspan of 194
mm, the female of the
species is marginally larger
than the southern birdwing
(190 mm) that Brigadier
William Harry Evans, a
British military officer and
lepidopterist, recorded in
1932. But the male golden
birdwing (Troides aeacus) is
much smaller at 106 mm. Bright and beautiful: A male golden birdwing, which has a
The new measurements smaller wingspan than the female. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *

of this and 24 other species

of butterflies were he added. measured a butterfly from
published in the latest issue While the female golden the centre of the thorax to
of Bionotes, a quarterly birdwing was recorded from the tip of the forewing apex
newsletter for research on Didihat in Uttarakhand, the and doubled the result. His
life forms. Shristee Panthee largest male was from the contribution was to provide
of the University of Chinese Wankhar Butterfly Museum the wingspans of all
Academy of Sciences in in Shillong. butterfly species then
Yunnan and Peter Smetacek According to the authors, known from the Indian
of the Butterfly Research the only measurement used subcontinent and his book
Centre at Bhimtal in in the study of Lepidoptera is still the standard work on
Uttarakhand are the authors is wingspan — a simple the subject.
of the study. concept with various The updated wingspan of
interpretations of the term. three species — all from
Brigadier Evans’s record “Some older authors Uttarakhand — after the
“The hitherto largest Indian measured a straight line golden birdwing are the
butterfly that Brigadier between the forewing common windmill (Byasa
Evans recorded in 1932 was apices (pointed ends or tips) polyeuctes) at 98 mm, the
an individual of the of pinned specimens. This great windmill (Byasa
southern birdwing (Troides was controversial, since the dasarada) at 96 mm, and
minos), which was then same butterfly could have the common peacock
treated as a subspecies of different wingspans, (Papilio bianor) at 78 mm.
the common birdwing,” Mr. depending on the position The smallest is the
Smetacek told The Hindu of its forewings in relation quaker (Neopithecops
on Tuesday. to each other,” the study zalmora) with a wingspan of
“But the specimen he says. 18 mm and forewing length
measured was unknown, of a mere 8 mm.
and no other butterfly More reliable method The largest female golden
measured as much as the Brigadier Evans followed a birdwing’s forewing length
190 mm that he recorded,” more reliable method. He is 90 mm.