Some Indian states have a state animal or a state bird. In 2015, Maharashtra became the first to also name a state butterfly.
đź“Ś Must Know
Maharashtra’s Blue Mormon
- First State Butterfly On 22 June 2015, Maharashtra declared the Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) as its state butterfly. It became the first Indian state to name a state butterfly.
- The Decision The decision was taken at a meeting of the State Wildlife Board in Mumbai.
- About the Butterfly The Blue Mormon has black, velvet wings with bright blue spots. It is the second-largest butterfly species by size in the region, after the southern birdwing.
- Where It’s Found The Blue Mormon is found in Sri Lanka and South India. It also occurs in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra and along coastal belts.
đź’ˇ Good to Know
Other Indian States Followed Suit
- Arunachal Pradesh Declared the Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis), a rare Himalayan swallowtail, as its state butterfly in 2021.
- Goa Declared the Malabar Tree-Nymph (Idea malabarica), also in 2021, known for its slow, floating flight pattern.
- Sikkim Declared the Blue Duke (Bassarona durga) as its state butterfly in 2022.
- Jammu and Kashmir Declared the Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya) its butterfly in 2023, the most recent Union Territory to do so.
đź“ť Exam Point of View
UPSC CSP 2016: India’s First State Butterfly
- UPSC 2016 Asked as: “Recently, for the first time in our country, which of the following States has declared a particular butterfly as ‘State Butterfly’?” Answer: Maharashtra. See UPSC CSP 2016 GS Paper I, Q90.
- The Trap Since several states now have a state butterfly, remember Maharashtra was specifically first, in 2015, with the Blue Mormon. Later declarations don’t change that fact.
âś… Test Yourself
🌟 Great to Know
Why State Symbols Are More Than Symbolic
- Conservation Tool Naming a state butterfly is meant to raise public awareness and support habitat protection, not just decorate official letterheads.
- Bioindicator Role Butterflies are sensitive to small changes in habitat quality, so their presence and diversity act as a bioindicator for a forest ecosystem’s overall health.
- Maharashtra’s Numbers Maharashtra alone hosts around 225 recorded butterfly species, a significant share of India’s total butterfly diversity concentrated in its Western Ghats belt.
đź“° Current Affairs
Western Ghats Butterfly Survey (2026)
- The Survey From 26 February to 1 March 2026, the Kerala Forest Department and the Travancore Nature History Society ran a biodiversity survey across Vazhachal Wildlife Division in the Western Ghats. (Source: Outlook Traveller)
- Butterfly Count The survey recorded 175 butterfly species in total, with 13 species newly added to the division’s checklist, out of 26 new species added across all groups. (Source: Outlook Traveller)
- Scale of the Effort Around 50 biodiversity experts and 50 forest staff ran 14 field camps across different elevations and habitat types for the survey. (Source: Outlook Traveller)
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