Rare butterfly Palmking spotted for the first time in Tamil Nadu

The rare butterfly Palmking has been spotted for the first time in Tamil Nadu.

About Butterfly Palmking:

The unique woody species was earlier seen only in Kerala.
It is the first recorded instance of the rare species in Tamil Nadu.
Palmking was first recorded in South India by British scientist S.Ferguson in 1891.
More than a Century later, it was rediscovered in 2007 in Thenmala by C. Susanth.
Distribution:
This butterfly is widely distributed across parts of India, Myanmar, Indo China, Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand.
It occurs in the Indonesian archipelago and the Philippines.
In India, Palmking sightings were recorded in the forests of Arippa, Shendurney, Periyar Tiger Reserve in the south of Western Ghats.
The butterfly is characterised by its brown colour and dark bands and is described as reclusive, mostly resting in the shade.
It is not easy to spot a Palmking because its wood colour makes for easy camouflage and it rarely spreads its wings.
Palmking belongs to the Nymphalidae subfamily and feeds on palm, coconut and calamus varieties of plants.