Rediscovery of Watson’s Demon Stimula swinhoei swinhoei (Elwes & Edwards, 1897) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae) in Meghalaya, India after 60 years
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Abstract
The authors report the rediscovery of the grass skipper Watson’s Demon Stimula swinhoei swinhoei from Riwai village, Meghalaya. The nominotypical subspecies found in India was last recorded 60 years ago by Cantlie from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya in 1956, and since then no records of this species have been found in the literature of the state. The authors recorded one individual of the species on 20 February 2016 while it was feeding on bird droppings adjacent to a hill stream in Riwai village, Khasi Hills, Meghalaya. The species might have been overlooked by past workers due to its similarities with Ancistroides nigrita.
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