Blue duke butterfly

Gangtok, June 5 (PTI): Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on the occasion of World Environment Day on Sunday declared Blue Duke the state butterfly. He made the announcement at a function held here. Of the 720 species of butterflies found in Sikkim, Blue Duke was selected as the state butterfly securing 57 per cent votes in a recent online poll conducted by the Forest Department. Blue Duke, which goes by the scientific name Bassarona durga durga, is unique to Sikkim and the eastern Himalayas. It was discovered in the state in 1858. Blue Duke falls in Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and is a protected species in the Himalayas. Krishna Peacock (Papilio Krishna) secured 43 per cent of votes in the online polls to secure the second position. Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from news agency feeds and has not been edited by The Morung Express. Source: PTI The Morung Express The Morung Express is a people-oriented alternative newspaper based in Nagaland that was conceived from the Naga people’s historical realities and is guided by their voices and experiences. It emerged from the well-recognized concept that the core of a free press is based on “qualitative and investigative” journalism. Ensuring this is essential for contributing to an informed Naga public that makes sound decisions on issues that affect all spheres of life.

GANGTOK: Blue Duke was named the State Butterfly of Blue Duke, a Sikkim native butterfly species, won the title of State Butterfly of Sikkim, beating out Krishna Peacock. The two butterflies were chosen from a pool of 720 butterfly species for the State Butterfly Awards. According to the Forest Department, the State Butterfly was chosen through online voting between April and September. Blue Duke received 57 percent of the 4036 votes cast, while Krishna Peacock received 43 percent. Blue Duke is found in the Himalayas at elevations below 1,500 metres and is commonly found in places like Pakyong, Passingdong, and Hee-Gyathang in Dzongu, Lingee in South Sikkim, and Yangsum in West Sikkim, as well as Tadong and Ranka closer to the State capital. Similarly, opinions were sought from the Forest Department's 11-member expert committee for the State Butterfly selection process. It was revealed that six experts backed Blue Duke, while the remaining five backed Krishna Peacock. Blue Duke was given State butterfly status by Nosang M. Limboo, an expert on Sikkim's birds and butterflies, because of its importance to the Himalayan state. Nosang discovered the species in 2012, near the Nar Bahadur Bhandari Degree College in Tadong, Gangtok. Since then, he has approached both the previous and current State governments, requesting that the butterfly species be designated as the State butterfly. Blue Duke, also known as Bassarona durga durga, is unique to Sikkim and the Eastern Himalayas, h...

Small and orange and brown, like a tiny fritillary. Undersides of hind wings have rows of white spots. Lives in small colonies on grassland or woodland clearings. This small butterfly frequents scrubby grassland and sunny woodland clearings, typically in very low numbers. The adults rarely visit flowers and most sightings are of the territorial males as they perch on a prominent leaf at the edge of scrub. The females are elusive and spend much of their time resting or flying low to the ground looking for suitable egg-laying sites. Eggs are laid in small batches underneath the leaves of Primrose (Primula vulgaris) and Cowslip (P. veris) plants. They take seven to 21 days to hatch depending on weather conditions. Caterpillars stay hidden during the day, emerging to feed on leaves at dusk. Even after six weeks of feeding, they remain smaller than 2cm long. Conditions during this stage are critical to their survival, with summer droughts posing a huge threat. Caterpillars will leave the foodplant to pupate in grass tussocks. This species overwinters as a chrysalis until the following spring. The Duke of Burgundy is found in England only with a stronghold in central-southern areas and more isolated colonies in the southern Lake District and the North York Moors. It has declined substantially in recent decades, especially in woodlands where it is reduced to fewer than 20 sites. Size and Family • Family: Riodinidae “metalmarks” • Size: Small • Wing Span Range (male to female): 29...

Contents • • • • • Highlights • This was announced at Saramsa Garden near Ranipool, in an event organized by Forest department. • Blue Duke edged past Krishna Peacock, which was to be announced as State Butterfly of Sikkim. • Both the butterflies were shortlisted for “State butterfly” nominations, among 720-odd butterfly species. Online Voting As per Forest Department, an online voting was done between April and September 2021 for select State Butterfly. Out of 4036 votes, 57% of the votes went to Blue Duke and 43% votes went to Krishna Peacock. About Blue Duke Blue Duke is a native butterfly species of Sikkim. It represents Sikkim with its two unique colours. Blue colour represents sky while white colour depicts snow clad mountains of Himalayas. The butterfly is befitting to Sikkim and its unique identity. It is found in Himalayas, at an altitude below 1,500 metres. Places where it is commonly found include Pakyong, Hee-Gyathang and Pssingdong in Dzongu, Yangsum in West Sikkim and Lingee in South Sikkim. It is also found in places closer to State capital, like Tadong and Ranka. When was this species found? The Blue Duke butterfly was founded by Nosang in 2012. It was found around the Nar Bahadur Bhandari Degree College at Tadong in Gangtok. Since then, Nosang has been approaching state government to recognise it as State butterfly. Blue Duke, also called Bassarona durga, is unique to Sikkim and Eastern Himalayas. It was first discovered in Sikkim in 1858. Protection statu...