Guwahati: Just days after a newly identified plant species was named in honour of Assamese icon Zubeen Garg, scientists have now unveiled yet another tribute from the wild—this time, a rare butterfly species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh.
Named Euthalia (Limbusa) zubeengargi, the butterfly was documented in the Basar region of Leparada district, reinforcing Northeast India’s reputation as a biodiversity hotspot still full of scientific surprises.
The discovery, led by Roshan Upadhaya a policeman and nature lover and researcher Kalesh Sadasivan, is being seen as both a taxonomic breakthrough and a cultural nod—bridging science and identity in the Eastern Himalayas.
What makes the find extraordinary is its rarity. Despite extensive surveys, researchers recorded only two individuals, raising concerns about whether the species is naturally scarce or simply difficult to detect in dense forest habitats.
The butterfly inhabits cool, shaded understories of semi-evergreen forests between 600–700 metres, where it flits slowly between foliage, feeds on tree sap, and gathers minerals from damp surfaces. Its olive-brown wings, marked by distinctive white patterns and subtle iridescence, place it within a little-known group of forest butterflies.
Detailed analysis confirmed that the species is distinct from all known relatives, based on its wing patterns and unique male anatomical features—key markers in butterfly taxonomy.
The researchers have proposed the common name “Basar Duke”, tying the species to its place of discovery, while the scientific name honours Zubeen Garg’s lasting cultural influence across the Northeast.
Together, the back-to-back naming of both a plant and a butterfly after the artist signals something larger—a growing recognition of regional cultural figures within the scientific world, and a reminder that the forests of Arunachal Pradesh continue to yield discoveries that connect ecology with identity.
For scientists, however, the excitement is tempered with urgency. The extremely limited sightings underline the need for deeper exploration and conservation in one of India’s most biologically rich yet under-studied landscapes.
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