Photo Source: Babushahi Network
Common Lascar found in Chandigarh
Kulbhushan Kanwar
Chandigarh, April 6, 2021: New butterfly species Common Lascar found in Butterfly Park with this new addition the number of butterflies species clicked by me raises to 129 during my last 13 years of work on butterflies of Chandigarh said Kulbhushan Kanwar.
He further described that the Common Lascar butterfly is scientifically known as Pantoporia hordonia(Stoll) having a 45-50 mm wingspan belongs to Nymphalidae (brush-footed) family and subfamily: Limenitiae (Commodores, Sergeants, Barons, Sailers, and others. Its status is common in South India and the Northeast.
"It is also found in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh but in Chandigarh, it falls under the category of a rare butterfly. Though Common Lascar mimics with Perak Lascar but slightly different because of having only one orange line on the back marginal border of the upper side of the forewing whereas Perak Lascar has two narrow lines. The wings are dark brown to black with a broad orange cell streak with two small indentations," informed Kulbhushan Kanwar.
"My friend Dr.Upendra Goswami of P.G.I, Chandigarh, and a butterfly lover clicked this butterfly in Butterfly Park a few days earlier. I also saw it in Butterfly Park but avoided clicking it as I presume this may be a Jester. But yesterday after the intensive hunt for four hours at Butterfly Park finally I could click this butterfly. It is a graceful sailing flight but much weaker than the sailers but rather alert and skittish and would quickly ascend to the treetop when alarmed. It has been sighted visiting flowers and with open wings while paddling on wet ground and perching. You can see them on the wings from March to December along forested paths and clearings and sometimes away from forested areas. It laid egg singly not in a cluster. Its caterpillars feed on Archidendron clypearia(Leguminosae, Mimosoideae), Mimosoideae (common name Petai)," he added.
Kulbhushan Kanwar said this is the impact of lots of changes made in the Butterfly Park viz supplement nectar, host plants, nectar flowering, and two beds have been created to provide minerals required for the butterflies and apart from the proper arrangement has been made to create moisture atmosphere suitable habitat.
"This is the result that a number of new species have visited Butterfly Park and started breeding there. But is a matter of concern that 40% insect species have come down in the past 10 years and this is faster than mammals, birds and reptiles. This includes 53% Butterflies, 68% Caddisflies, 49% Beetles, 46% Bees, 37% Mayflies and 37% Dragonflies," Kanwar said.
With this new arrival total number of Butterflies goes to 129 which is the result of 13 years of hard work:-
- Nymphallidae-54
- Papilionidae-10
- Pieridae-16
- Hesperiidae-16
- Lycaenidae-33
- Total:-129