Kamal Ghorui
Guwahati: A rare butterfly species has been discovered in the semi-evergreen forests of the Basar region in central Arunachal Pradesh’s Lepa Rada district and named after Assamese cultural icon Zubeen Garg by its discoverers.The butterfly, scientifically christened Euthalia (Limbusa) zubeengargi and given the common name ‘Basar Duke’, is distinguished by olive-brown wings with white markings and a turquoise-green underside, thriving in humid forest habitats. So far, only two butterflies have been recorded, making it an exceptionally rare find.In their published paper, discoverers Roshan Upadhaya and Kalesh Sadasivan stated, “The species appears to be genuinely rare and highly localised, known only from two males (butterflies) despite repeated surveys.”Detailed analysis confirmed the butterfly is distinct from all known relatives, based on its wing patterns and unique male anatomical features — critical markers in butterfly taxonomy.Upadhaya, known as the ‘Butterfly Man of Arunachal Pradesh’, a PhD scholar and an Arunachal Pradesh Police personnel, described the naming on social media as “a tribute to the legend icon Zubeen da, from a police fraternity, nature lover, zoologists, and to the people of Basar.”The etymology explains that the epithet ‘zubeengargi’ is a Latinised compound of Garg’s first and last names, treated as a masculine genitive meaning of Zubeen Garg.The butterfly inhabits shaded understories of semi-evergreen forests between 600-700 metres above sea level, underscoring the fragile richness of the Eastern Himalayas.
