By Our Special Correspondent
Daijjiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, May 28: The Goan researchers have recorded three new species of butterflies in the state’s wildlife sanctuaries which has fostered state’s claim for the one of the world’s bio diversity hotspots.

The Journal of Threatened Taxa, an international online journal, has recorded these three species in their this month’s edition.

Three butterfly species – Black-vein Sergeant, White Banded Awl and Coon – were recorded by Goa’s environmentalists Parag Rangnekar and Omkar Dharwadkar  during their visit to various wildlife sanctuaries of the state.

Blackvein Seargent

Coon

White-banded Awl

``These three species were hitherto known from Karnataka Southwards and are known to prefer moist evergreen forests. The present record extend their distribution northwards to Goa,’’ the journal mentions.

``Since Goa is at the confluence of the Northern and Southern western ghats, these records are of interest as they suggest that further species may extend their range in the years to come,” it adds.

According to the statistics, the western ghat documents 330 species of butterflies of which 251 have been from Goa. In the recent works, 97 species have been documented from Bondla wildlife sanctuary itself indicating the rich bio diversity possessed by the coastal state.

With the addition of these three species, the total number of butterfly species is pegged at 254 in the state.

Both the environmentalists have given a detailed insight into how they recorded the species. According to them, the first species, black-vein sergeant was photographed mud-puddling en route to Sauri falls in the Netravati wildlife sanctuary on May 15, 2007. Another similar specimen was photographed on January 09, 2009 at Collem in the Mollem national park.

In case of white banded awl, one individual of this species was observed mud puddling around 1130 hrs in mollem national park. Further visit to locations did not result in sighting of white banded awl.

The researchers were in a pleasant surprise on January 25, 2009 when they sighted white banded awl along the riverside at netravati wild life sanctuary.
 
The third species was observed at three forested locations in Cotigao wildlife sanctuary, mhadei wildlife sanctuary and mahaveer wildlife sanctuary.