Six new additions to the Indian butterfly (Lepidoptera) fauna from Upper Siang, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

This paper reports six new additions to the butterfly fauna of India, based on photographic evidence from the community forests of Simong Village in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The six species — Horaga takanamii Seki and Saito,2004, Dacalana vui Saito and Inayoshi, 2022, Euthalia zhaxidunzhui Huang, 1998, Athyma yui Huang, 1998, Stichophthalma neumogeni renqingduojiei Huang, 1998 and Stiboges elodinia Fruhstorfer, 1914 — have not been previously reported from India. Horaga takanamii was previously known from Laos, while D. vui was known to be distributed in Northern Thailand (Nan Province) and Northern Vietnam and S. elodinia from Northern Thailand to China. Euthalia zhaxidunzhui, A. yui and Stichophthalma neumogeni renqingduojiei were earlier reported from Northern Myanmar and Metok county of the adjoining Tibet. These new reports highlight the importance of Siang valley as an important region of lepidopteran diversity in India, which remains poorly explored.