Paintbrush swift butterfly

Under the Wild Bhattiyat Project initiated by the State Forest Department in 2022, a species of butterfly that is rare in the western Himalayas, the paintbrush swift butterfly has been documented for the first time in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district.

• It was first described by lepidopterist Frederic Moore more than 145 years ago.
  

• The paintbrush swift is a butterfly species of the Hesperiidae family.
• Scientific name: Baoris farri
• It is identified based on two separated spots in the upper forewing cell.
• The species’ larvae feed on bamboo and some other grass species.
• Habitat: Its habitat is distributed in northeast, central and south India, and rare in Uttarakhand.
• Threats: Habitat loss and scarcity of larval host plants are major causes of the decline in the butterfly population. An increase in pesticide use, deforestation, and climate change.
• Conservation status: This species is legally protected in India under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.