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Journal of Threatened Taxa Building evidence for conservaton globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Communication A second report on butterflies (Lepidoptera) from Ladakh Union Territory and Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh, India Sanjay Sondhi, Balakrishnan Valappil & Vidya Venkatesh 26 May 2020 | Vol. 12 | No. 8 | Pages: 15817–15827 DOI: 10.11609/jot.5606.12.8.15817-15827 For Focus, Scope, Aims, Policies, and Guidelines visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-0 For Artcle Submission Guidelines, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions For Policies against Scientfc Misconduct, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-2 For reprints, contact <[email protected]> The opinions expressed by the authors do not refect the views of the Journal of Threatened Taxa, Wildlife Informaton Liaison Development Society, Zoo Outreach Organizaton, or any of the partners. The journal, the publisher, the host, and the part- Publisher & Host ners are not responsible for the accuracy of the politcal boundaries shown in the maps by the authors. Member Threatened Taxa Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 May 2020 | 12(8): 15817–15827 ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) PLATINUM OPEN ACCESS DOI: htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.5606.12.8.15817-15827 #5606 | Received 08 December 2019 | Final received 07 May 2020 | Finally accepted 11 May 2020 C o m A second report on buterfies (Lepidoptera) from Ladakh Union Territory m u n and Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh, India i c 1 2 3 a Sanjay Sondhi , Balakrishnan Valappil & Vidya Venkatesh t i 1 Titli Trust, 49 Rajpur Road Enclave, Dhoran Khas, near IT Park, P.O. Gujrada, Dehradun, Utarakhand 248001, India. o 2 Nest, Kizhuparamba P.O., Malappuram District, Kerala 673639, India. n 3 5, Rajnigandha, Goraswadi, Malad (W), Mumbai, Maharashtra 400064, India. 1 Indian Foundaton for Buterfies, C-703, Alpine Pyramid, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560097, India. 1 [email protected] (corresponding author), 2 [email protected], 3 [email protected] Abstract: Additonal buterfy records and natural history observatons are reported from a two-week survey of buterfies in Ladakh and Lahaul in the inner Himalaya in Ladakh Union Territory, and Himachal Pradesh in August 2018. These records follow an earlier report from a two-week survey in June–July 2016, and reports 10 species not sighted during the previous survey. Observatons on early stages of Pieris deota, Aglais ladakensis, and Papilio machaon ladakensis are reported, as well as a mass emergence of Parnassius epaphus. Keywords: Himalayas, Lepidoptera, mass emergence, palearctc. Editor: Jatshwor Irungbam, Biology Centre CAS, Insttute of Entomology, České Budějovice. Date of publicaton: 26 May 2020 (online & print) Citaton: Sondhi, S., B. Valappil & V. Venkatesh (2020). A second report on buterfies (Lepidoptera) from Ladakh Union Territory and Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12(8): 15817–15827. htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.5606.12.8.15817-15827 Copyright: © Sondhi et al. 2020. Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproducton, and distributon of this artcle in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publicaton. Funding: Sanjay Sondhi’s visit was partally funded by Titli Trust. Balakrishnan Valappil and Vidya Venkatesh visits were self funded. Competng interests: The authors declare no competng interests. Author details: Sanjay Sondhi is a Dehradun-based naturalist and founder Trustee, Titli Trust. An engineering graduate from the Indian Insttute of Kanpur (1987), the study of natural history has been his passion for more than three decades. His natural history interests include studying, photographing and writng about nature with a special interest in birds, buterfies, moths and amphibians and reptles. He has authored numerous books and technical papers on amphibians and reptles, birds, buterfies and moths and other Indian wildlife. Balakrishnan Valappil has been observing Indian Lepidoptera for the last few years. He is interested in the biology of moths and buterfies and is an executve member of Malabar Natural History Society. Vidya Venkatesh is an Inclusive conservatonist, working with Last Wilderness Foundaton on human-wildlife coexistence in central India. Her work involves engaging with forest department and forest communites to conduct outreach programmes, sustainable livelihoods and capacity building. She has been closely working with the Baiga and the Pardhi tribes. Author contributon: All the three authors partcipated in the feld survey in Ladakh. Sanjay Sondhi drafed the manuscript and prepared some of the plates and the tables. Balakrishnan Valappil prepared some of the plates, provided inputs to and edited the manuscript. Vidya Venkatesh provided inputs to and edited the manuscript. Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Mohd Juma from Destnaton Inde from Leh helped organise their visit, and Zahur, who drove them around Ladakh safely for two weeks, and ended up spotng some buterfies as well! 15817 J TT Second report on buterfies from Ladakh and Lahaul Sondhi et al. INTRODUCTION Table 1. Route taken during buterfy surveys Date Route taken Sondhi et al. (2017) reported on buterfies sighted Leh City outskirts (Spituk, Choklamsar) Leh 1 03.viii.2018 during a 12-day survey in Ladakh in June and July 2016, District, LUT Leh City outskirts (Sabu village & Chushut) in Leh 2 04.viii.2018 during which 42 species were recorded. In August District, LUT 2018, the authors undertook another two week survey Leh-Ganglas-South Pullu-Khardung La-North 3 05.viii.2018 in Ladakh Union Territory (LUT). Species not sighted in Pullu-Khardung village in Leh District, LUT Khardung village-Khalsar-Hundar-Skuru-Turtuk in 4 06.viii.2018 2016 are reported here, and a checklist of all buterfies Leh District, LUT recorded is provided with details of locatons, alttudes 5 07.viii.2018 Turtuk and surrounds in Leh District, LUT and number of individuals sighted. Other interestng Turtuk-Skuru-Hundar-Khema-Kinru in Leh District, 6 08.viii.2018 natural history observatons are mentoned. LUT 7 09.viii.2018 Kinru-Khema-Warila Pass in Leh District, LUT 8 10.viii.2018 Warila Pass-Serthi-Sakt in Leh District, LUT Sakt-Karu-Upshi-Miru-Latu-Rumste in Leh MATERIALS AND METHODS 9 11.viii.2018 District, LUT Rumste-Tanglang La-Debring-Pang in Leh District, 10 12.viii.2018 A survey was conducted 3–15 August 2018 with LUT Pang-Lachung La-Whiskey nala-Serchu in Leh the aim of covering as many habitats and alttudes as 11 13.viii.2018 District, LUT possible in Ladakh, making it necessary to use a vehicle Serchu-Baralacha Pass-Zing Zing Bar-Darcha-Jispa- 12 14.viii.2018 throughout the survey period. The route (Table 1) Keylong in Lahaul Spit District, HP Keylong-Tandi-Sissu-Teling-Khoksar-Rohtang La- extended through most parts of Leh District, covering its 13 15.viii.2018 Kothi-Manali in Lahaul Spit District, HP central, northern, eastern, and southern parts, as well as the exit through the Lahaul region in Lahaul and Spit District of Himachal Pradesh (HP). The methodology consisted primarily of visual Table 2. Species break up by family and subfamily encounter surveys in suitable habitats for buterfies, Family No of subfamilies No of species such as alpine meadows, grasslands, crop felds, and 1 Hesperiidae 1 1 edges of stream and lakes. As we did not have permission 2 Lycaenidae 3 11 to collect specimens, we relied primarily on photographs 3 Nymphalidae 3 18 for identfcaton. In additon to the date and locaton of 4 Pieridae 2 11 sightngs, we also noted the tmes at which individuals 5 Papilionidae 1 1 were encountered. Alttudinal elevatons were recorded using a Garmin Etrex 10. Existng literature was consulted for species identfcaton and distributons (Marshall & de Nicéville recorded along with their locatons, alttudinal range, 1882–1890, Bingham 1905–07; Swinhoe 1912–13; Evans and estmated number of individuals is listed in Table 3. 1927, 1932; Talbot 1939, 1947; Wynter-Blyth 1957; The summary of photographic records of the species not Cantlie 1963; Mani 1986; Smith 1994, 2006; Kinyon recorded in Sondhi et al. (2017) is provided in Image 1–7. 2004; Tshikolovets 2005; Kehimkar 2008; Varshney & Smetacek, 2015; van Gasse 2017). Online sources were also consulted as aids to taxonomy and identfcaton DISCUSSION (Kunte et al. 2019; Savela 2019). The following secton provides detailed informaton about the additonal species recorded during the survey RESULTS in August 2018 including dates/tmes at which they were recorded, locatons, alttudes as well as relevant natural The 12-day survey resulted in the record of 42 history observatons and taxonomic notes, wherever species of buterfies from fve families in 11 subfamilies necessary. The common names as well as alternatve (Table 2). Many of these species are rare and found in common names (ACN) in use are also mentoned (Evans Palearctc habitats in the inner Himalaya. Seven species 1932; Kunte et al. 2019). The legal protecton accorded are protected under Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife to these species, under the Indian Wildlife (Protecton) (Protecton) Act, 1972. A checklist of the species Act, 1972, if any, is mentoned. Photographs of these 15818 Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 May 2020 | 12(8): 15817–15827 J TT Second report on buterfies from Ladakh and Lahaul Sondhi et al.