The European Red Admiral butterfly saw near Dharamshala in the Dhauladhar Mountains in Himachal Pradesh. Image Credits: Loving Garlani
In the remarkable first Indian Lepidopteran records, the European Red Admiral (Vanessa Atalanta), the widely distributed migration types of butterflies, was observed and documented in Himacal Pradesh. The species was observed near Dharamshaly in the Dhaladhar Mountains, which meant his first appearance in the country.
Observation, which was carried out 22 April during the butterfly survey, confirmed Lovesh Garlani, an expert in the Himalayan butterflies associated with the forest department Himacal Pradesh. “The only sample was recorded on a Thatharna hill near Dharamshala at a height of 2,500 meters,” said Sanjeev Kumar, forest officer, Bhattiyat Forest in the Chamba district, Hindu.
This unprecedented record increases the total number of butterflies documented in Himachal Pradesh to 440.
The European Red Admiral is well known for its extensive migration patterns throughout Europe and North America. Although this species has been historically not reported, the species was documented in parts of Central and South Asia. “His last confirmed record in South Asia came from Balochistan in 1929 and was rediscovered in the Pakistani lower chitral region in 2022 after the 93 -year -old,” said Mr. Garlani.
Interestingly, there are no confirmed records of the species from China, Mongolia or Afghanistan, which makes Dharamshaly observation particularly remarkable. According to Mr. Garlani, this observation indicates a possible expansion to the east to the east in the Eurasian corridor.
The larvae of the European Red Admiral is primarily alive with the Urtica Dioica, a type of plants that are widely found across Western Himalayas. “The availability of the host power plant, associated with favorable climatic conditions, could be a factor that powered the butterfly migration in Indian territory,” Mr. Garlani explained. However, he warned that it remains to find out whether the observation represents an isolated migration event or indicates the creation of a breeding population in the region.
Morphologically, the European red admiral is close to the similarities to his cousin, the Indian Red Admiral (Vanessa Indica), but it can be distinguished by its narrower, deeper crimson band and the consistent presence of the diagnostic site in the upper ancestor in Indian species.
The discovery adds a new dimension for the pursuit of butterflies in the Himalayas and can stimulate further research of distribution of species under climatic and environmental conditions.
Published – 1 May 2025 17:23 is
