First photographic record of White Royal Tajuria illurgis illurgis (Hewitson, [1869]) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Tajuria illurgis illurgis (Hewitson, [1869]), is an Indo-Malayan blue butterfly belonging to the family Lycaenidae with distribution across the Himalaya, but there is no photographic evidence of the species from Arunachal Pradesh. On 25 August 2022, a single individual of the species was photographed at an elevation of 1,344 m from Vijaynagar, Arunachal Pradesh, which is the first photographic record of the species from the state. This species is also legally protected under Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Our record from Vijaynagar suggests that more scientific exploration on lepidopteran community is needed in future, with the area being geopolitically important boundary of Indo-Myanmar.