• NET Web Desk

Sonam Wangchuk Lepcha, a researcher who have been indulged into the hobby of observing butterflies have recently discovered a new butterfly species ‘Chocolate-bordered Flitter’ from Dzongu, Sikkim.

This new butterfly species carrying the scientific name ‘Zographetus dzonguensis‘ has been named after Dzongu in North Sikkim, the place where it was discovered.

According to Hindu report, its closest relatives – Zographetus pangi in Guangdong, and Zographetus hainanensis in Hainan, hail from Southeastern China, adjacent to Hong Kong, says the Associate Professor at National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, Dr. Krushnamegh Kunte.

Mr. Lepcha in 2020 sent the picture of a golden yellow butterfly with brown borders and spots to the NCBS.

“While reviewing Sonam’s image, I realised that this was a species previously unknown in India and that, in fact, this may be a new species,” – asserted Dr. Kunte.

Published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal Zootaxa, the physical appearance of this species differ slightly.

“We have not done genetic studies yet but we hope to do them next year, once we are fully functional as the pandemic winds down,” – further added Dr. Kunte.

Lepcha who is also an author of the journal has has photographed more than 350 different butterflies from the Dzongu region since 2016.