India has extremely diverse terrain, climate and vegetation, which comprises extremes of heat and cold, desert and jungle, of low-lying plains and the highest mountains, of dryness and dampness, islands and continental areas, widely varying flora, and sharply marked seasons. India forms a large part of the Indomalayan biogeographical zone; many of the floral and faunal forms show Malayan affinities with some taxa being unique to the Indian region. In addition, India hosts three of the world's biodiversity hotspots: the Western Ghats, the Himalayas, and the hilly ranges bordering India and Myanmar, each having numerous endemic species. Accordingly, India's diverse and varied fauna include a rich variety of butterflies and moths. Brigadier William Harry Evans recorded approximately 1439 species of butterfly from British India, including Ceylon and Burma.[2] After 1947, the rise of several new nations led to a reduction of the area forming part of India proper, and the number of species has been noted to be an estimated 1403 species.[3][4][5]
Many papers and books[6][7] have been written on Indian butterflies, some of the most famous are the Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India[3] and The Book of Indian Butterflies[8].
Here is a key to the terms used in this list-
Endemic: Endemic species are species found only in a particular region, in this case, India.
Schedule 1: This is used on all species under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act (Amendment 2022).[9]
Schedule 2: This is used on all species under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act (Amendment 2022).[9]
From the 1920 to the 1960s, two major books on Indian butterflies were published. These were The Identification of Indian Butterflies by William Harry Evans[2] and Butterflies of the Indian Region by Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth.[5]
In recent times, field guides like Butterflies of India by Isaac Kehimkar and A Naturalist's Guide to the Butterflies of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka by Peter Smetacek helped in spreading popularity on butterfly watching and identification.
The Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India by R. K. Varshney and Peter Smetacek provided the first complete list of the butterflies found in India.
Papilionidae
The Papilionidae or the swallowtail butterflies are a family of about 550 species. Many species show sexual dimorphism. Males of this family are attracted to wet mud (this behavior is called mud-puddling). The swallowtail butterflies have three well-developed pairs of legs and the abdomen is not covered by the wing. There are 96 species of this family found in India.
The Hesperiidae or the skipper butterflies are a family of about 3500 species. Many members of this family are hard to distinguish from each other and require dissection to properly identify. They are called "skippers" due to their quick and darting flights. There are 292 species of this family found in India.
The Pieridae or the white, yellow and sulphur butterflies are a family of about 1050 species. Most members of the family are white or yellow in colour. Butterflies of this family are attracted to wet mud. There are 99 species of this family found in India.
The Riodinidae or the metalmark butterflies are a family of about 1600 species. The name "metalmark" owes to the metallic spots on the Neotropical members of this family. There are 20 species of this family found in India.
The Lycaenidae or the gossamer-winged butterflies are a large family of about 6000 species. They are a group of relatively small butterflies, and most species are attracted to flowers. There are 399 species of this family found in India.
The Nymphalidae or brush-footed butterflies are the largest family of butterflies by number of species (more than 6000). They are medium sized to large butterflies and are often easily distinguishable in the field. The uppersides are usually more vibrantly colored than the undersides. Most species can be found basking in the sun or visiting flowers and over-ripe fruits. There are 497 species of this family found in India.
↑Gay, Thomas; Kehimkar, Isaac David; Punetha, Jagdish Chandra (1992). Common butterflies of India. Nature guides. Bombay: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN978-0-19-563164-7.
↑Smetacek, Peter (2017). A Naturalist's Guide to the Butterflies of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. John Beaufoy Publishing. ISBN9788175994065.
↑Kunte, Krushnamegh; Gadgil, Madhav (2000). India, a lifescape: butterflies of Peninsular India. Indian Academy of Sciences. Hyderabad: [S.l.]: Universities Press; Distributed by Orient Longman. ISBN978-81-7371-354-5.
↑Kehimkar, Isaac (2008). The Book of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society and Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0195696202.
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