Noble’s Helen: Arunachal Pradesh yields India’s newest butterfly

Noble’s Helen: Arunachal Pradesh yields India’s newest butterfly

Subject: Environment

Section : Species In News

Context: The Noble’s Helen, recorded from the Namdapha National Park, is disappearing from its previously known ranges in Myanmar, China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

More on the News:

• A swallowtail butterfly disappearing from its previously known ranges from Myanmar and southern China to Vietnam has been recorded for the first time in India.
• Butterfly enthusiasts recorded the “extremely rare” Noble’s Helen (Papilio noblei) from three locations in the Namdapha National Park of Arunachal Pradesh between September 2019 and September 2021.

About Noble’s Helen butterfly:

• It is a swallowtail butterfly with a wingspan of 100–120 mm.
• It has an extra white spot in the dorsum of the forewing.
• Scientific name: Papilio noblei
• Distribution: They are found in Myanmar, Yunnan, Hubai (China), North Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam.
• The species is known to be very rare in occurrence in its previously known ranges.
• The Noble’s Helen, closest to the Papilio antonio from the Philippines and characterized by a much large dorsal white spot, was once common in the montane forest at moderate elevations in northern Thailand.
• Apart from Thailand, this species of swallowtail butterfly has been reported from Myanmar, Yunnan and Hubai regions of China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Namdapha national park:

Geography

• Namdapha National Park is the largest protected area in the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot and is located in Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is India’s easternmost tiger reserve. It is located in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh near the international border with Myanmar.
• It lies on the international border between India and Myanmar (Burma) within Changlang District in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Namdapha protected area is located between Dapha Bum ridge of Mishmi Hills, of North Eastern Himalayas and Patkai Ranges.
• It lies in close proximity to the Indo-Myanmar-China trijunction.
• It was declared a National Park in 1983.
• It falls within the geographical sub-tropical zone and enjoys the sub-tropical climate.
• Among the last great remote wilderness areas of Asia, Namdapha and its adjoining areas, is flanked by the Patkai hills to the south and south-east and by the Himalaya in the north. The area lies close to the Indo-Myanmar-China trijunction.
• The entire area is mountainous and comprises the catchment of the Noa-Dihing River, a tributary of the great Brahmaputra River which flows westwards through the middle of Namdapha.

Biodiversity:

• It is only park in the World to have the four Feline species of big cat namely the Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Clouded Leopard and numbers of Lesser cats.
• Of the many other important animals are the elephants, black bear, Indian Bison, several species of deer’s, reptiles and a variety of arboreal animals.
• Among the bird species, most notable are the White winged Wood Ducks, a rare and endangered species, the great Indian hornbills, jungle fowls and pheasants flop their noisy way through the jungle, and which harbours other colorful bird and animal species.
• Hoolock Gibbons (Hylobates Hoolock), a highly endangered and only ‘ape’ species found in India is found in this national park.
• The park is also famous for critically endangered species like the Namdapha flying squirrel.
• Flora: Sapria himalayana, Amentotaxus, Cephalotaxus, Pinus merkusii (Sumatran pine) and Abies delavayi (Delavay’s Fir) etc.