ROOPAK GOSWAMI
Shillong, Aug 31: A butterfly collected from Tura more than a century ago has been identified as the first recorded specimen of Paralasa maracandica from India, according to a study by researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Indian Institute of Science.
The finding is significant because the species is known mainly from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, where it occurs in mountain meadows at elevations of about 1,000 to 2,500 metres.
The study, authored by Prarthana Goswami of the Indian Institute of Science, and Suresh Kr. Shah, Kaiyum Baskh Mollah and Purnendu Mishra of the Zoological Survey of India, is based on a review of historical butterfly specimens preserved at the ZSI in Kolkata.
The researchers were examining old specimens of the family Nymphalidae collected by Lionel de Nicéville during the 19th century when they came across four specimens identified as Paralasa maracandica. Two had been collected from localities in Central Asia, while the other two were labelled as being from Tura, then part of Assam and now in Meghalaya.
The two Tura specimens are male and carry original handwritten labels. The researchers said the labels are consistent with those used by de Nicéville, reducing the possibility that the specimens were mislabelled after collection.
The identification was further checked using the specimens’ wing patterns and male genitalia, with comparisons made against earlier taxonomic descriptions of the species.
An unusual record from Meghalaya
What makes the finding particularly unusual is the difference between the species’ known habitat and Tura’s environment.
The genus Paralasa is associated with the cold, arid and high-altitude Palearctic region. Tura, on the other hand, lies in the Indo-Burmese biogeographic region and is characterised by humid evergreen forests.
The researchers therefore caution against treating the Tura record as definitive evidence that the species is established in Meghalaya.
They describe the record as “provisionally valid but biogeographically uncertain” and recommend targeted surveys in the higher elevations of Meghalaya and adjoining areas to establish whether P. maracandica occurs in the region.
According to the study, P. maracandica had previously been recorded from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, with no known records from the Indian subcontinent or the Indo-Burmese region. Its flight period has been recorded during June and July in mountain meadows between 1,000 and 2,500 metres.
The Tura specimens were collected by de Nicéville and identified by him in 1933. Their discovery in the ZSI collection has now revealed an unexpected distributional link between Central Asia and northeastern India.
However, the authors stress that the biogeographical improbability of the species occurring in Meghalaya cannot be overlooked and say an extensive study by lepidopterists is needed.
They describe the Tura record as a “fascinating conundrum” because of its anomalous distribution.
ZSI scientist Suresh Kr. Shah said the discovery underlined the need for continued butterfly-focused research in Meghalaya.
“This discovery shows that continued butterfly-focused research is still needed in Meghalaya to explore the occurrence of such rare and lesser-known species from this northeastern landscape of the country,” Shah said.
ZSI Director Dr Dhriti Banerjee said the finding also demonstrated the importance of preserving and studying historical zoological collections.
“The recognition of a new butterfly record from specimens collected nearly a century ago underscores the importance of maintaining and studying the national zoological collections of the country. Such research can provide significant insights into species diversity and distribution,” Banerjee said.
The study, titled “First Indian record of Paralasa maracandica (Erschoff, 1874) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), with remarks on its unusual occurrence in northeastern India,” appears in the 2026 volume of the Records of the Zoological Survey of India.
For Meghalaya, the finding highlights the scientific value of historical collections. A specimen collected in Tura more than a century ago has prompted researchers to revisit what is known about the distribution of a butterfly species and to look again at the state’s higher-altitude habitats for evidence of its presence.
