Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal, India: a preliminary checklist

Authors

  • Ratnadeep Sarkar Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, The Himalaya Initiative, Gangtok, Sikkim 737102, India. https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5587-2485
  • Priyanka Rai Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, The Himalaya Initiative, Gangtok, Sikkim 737102, India. https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4390-1855

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9988.18.4.28644-28656

Keywords:

Darjeeling, lepidopteran-diversity, new species records, Nymphalidae, protected area, Riodinidae, Terai

Abstract

The present study from Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary records a total of 98 butterfly species among which 66 species are found as ‘first-time records’ from the sanctuary. Therein, eight butterfly species are scheduled under the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 and two are enlisted in the IUCN species list (2016). Nymphalids were recorded at the highest frequency (45.92%) whereas Riodinids are rarest (2.04%).

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Published

26-04-2026

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 4 (2026)

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Copyright (c) 2026 Ratnadeep Sarkar, Priyanka Rai

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