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.