TIMES OF INDIA Butterfly native to Lanka discovered in Western Ghats [email protected] 2011 in Agasthya hills, but they were paler in compari- butterfly species son to the other line blues that believed to be a na- were mud-puddling with tive of Sri Lanka is them on a damp patch on the A now found to have a ground. Similar pale coloured second home in the Western individuals were also ob- Ghats. The species discovered served and photographed in the Agasthiyarmalai Bio- later in January 2018 in sphere reserve is known as Tenkasi. Nacaduba sinhala ramaswa- Ramasamy said a fewdays mii and commonly named later in the same month, the Ramaswami's Six Lineblue. life cycle was discovered on Ramasamy S R K, a re- young sprouting leaves from searcher who identified the the cut stem of a tree: The species, said, "I first sighted larvae were raised, and de- the butterfly in tails of the adults Tenkasi at the ADDITION TO noted. The dissec- foothills of the tion of genitalia of Western Ghats in THE FAUNA male specimens 2016." After a were done and thorough study by research- they were unlike any known ers, the new finding was pub- Nacaduba from southern In- lished in the' Journal of dia and on further investiga- Threatened Taxa' recently. tion they were found match- "Discovery of this new ing the Sri Lankan species taxon of Lycaenidae butterfly Nacaduba sinhala, he said. belonging to the Nacaduba The species appears to genus adds a new species to breed more during the north- the butterfly fauna of the east monsoon, though the Western Ghats and the coun- breeding season extends from try," he said. September to January; with Line blues are small but- the peak in October. The lar-- terflies belonging to the sub- vae are guarded by ants. family Lycaenidae. This is the first record of Their distribution ranges the species N sinhala outside from India and Sri Lanka, to its endemic range in Sri Lan- the whole of south-east Asia, ka. Lycaenidae are one of the Australia and Samoa in the toughest families and tougher Pacific. They are character- are the line blues and among ised by hairy eyes, anastomo- them the Nacaduba group are sis of veins 11and 12on fore- the most complex, this is one wings. of the reasons why this spe- Two individuals of line cies went unnoticed until blues were photographed in now,he said. Researchers find new butterfly species ~ THE HINDU SARATH BABU GEORGE Threatened Taxa. ni. Line Blues are small butter- THIRUVANANTHAPURAM The new taxon of Lycaenid flies belonging to the subfami- Agroup of lepidopterists have butterflies belonging to the ly Lycaenidae and their added a species to the expand- Nacaduba genus had been distribution ranges from India ing-list of butterflies in India. first sighted by a team com- and Sri Lar ~a to the whole of The discovery of the species prising Kalesh .Sadasivan and southeastern Asia, Australia Nacaduba sinhala ramaswa- Baiju J(; representing the Tra- and Samoa. mii Sadasivan, 2021 in the vancore Nature History Socie- It is the first time that a but- Agasthyamalaisin the Western ty, Rahul Khot of the Bombay terfly species was discovered Ghats a decade ago has now Natural History Society, and by an all-Indian research team found place in the Journal of Ramasamy Naicker from The- from the Western Ghats. •••• ?~t' offi~ials ~OIlUdTiNngwiih{ pvtparlies running resorts: He Asks Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to constitute flying squads and special teams in strategic areas to monitor forests across the State CHENNAI: Observing that Forest collusion of the Forest officials, department officials were which had to be dealt with serious- visibly colluding with private ly, the court said, "The authorities Advocate barred entities for running resorts and are bound to keep in mind that the hotels by allowing them to failure on their part to protect the enter into the forest area wildlife, natural environment in from filing PIL without any permission, the forests lands are mandatory by Madras High Court directed the prosecuting the offenders without . • • Principal Chief Conservator of providing any further scope for Forests (PCCF) to constitute commission of offences sans perrrussion flying squads and special teams or illegalities." in strategic areas in the forests The judge also noted that pre- CHENNAI: Throwing out a public interest litigation that across the State to monitor the vention was far more important sought to subject all those contesting in the State functioning of officials at all than the prosecution of persons, as Assembly election 'to COVID-19 test as 'utterly frivolous levels and to control forests preventive measures would help and rubbish', the Madras High Court on Tuesday offences and illegalities. protect the natural environment restrained the lawyer who moved the plea from filing and forest lands than prosecuting further PIL petitions for one year without obtaining the Justice SM Subramaniam made the few persons and keeping the cases leave of the bench concerned. observation while dismissing an pending for years together without appeal moved by a private party conducting any trial. Slamming the petitioner of having nothing better to do other staking claim of being the owner of "These offenders, knowing the than waste court's time, the first bench comprising Chief Jus- a land marked as reserve forest long delay in disposal offorest cas- tice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy area though the person is only a les- es, are repeatedly indulging in the said that it hoped that some degree of responsibility would be see whose lease period had expired commission of such offences. Of- exercised before throwing such rubbish at the court next time. in 1997. fenders are not serious enough to "The petitioner desires that all candidates contesting in the Refusing to interfere with the understand the stringency of law. Legislative Assembly elections should undertake a order passed by the first appellate Thus, the authorities are expected compulsory medical test. There is no business for court in 2008 which held the ap- to act in consonance with the con- such prayer and there is no need for candidates to be pellant guilty of playing fraud, stitutional mandates and in ac- subject to such a test merely because some odd citi- Justice Subramaniam- said, "The cordance with the statutes and zen requires it," the bench said while dismissing wealth of the nation is swindled rules in force," the court held. thePIL, by few greedy men by indulging Justice Subramaniam then di- The petitioner SPY Paul Raj, an advocate in illegal mining activities,illegal rected the rotation of such flying from Alangulam in Tenkasi, had expressed killing of wild animals for person- squad to ensure that they were not fear that the candidates and their campaign al gains. It is painful to pen down allowed to acquaint with the other might end up becoming a cluster for that the Forest Department is not field level Forest officials. COVID cases. maintaining the expected level of The team should directly re- Pointing out to a list of candidates who sensitivity in such issues pertain- port to the Principal Chief Con- had tested positive for the infection after ing to environment and servator of Forests, who in turn they began campaigning and had now animal rights." should monitor the activities at been quarantined, the PIL petitioner said Further, pointing out that such the State level by utilising 'the candidates were going about kissing chil- offences were increasing day-by- digital technology, the dren and hugging elderly persons as part day largely and knowingly with the court stressed. of their campaign, "As a second wave appeared to have The authorities are bound to keep in mind that begun, the Election Commission MIn- dia must subject all candidates to the failure on their part to protect the wildlife, test," he said in the plea. natural environment in forests lands are manda- tory by prosecuting the offenders without providing any further scope for commission of offences or illegalities - Justice 8M 8ubramaniam r,-- .' . :Researchers find new butterfly species ~ THE HINDU SARATH BABU GEORGE Threatened Taxa. ni. Line Blues are small butter- THIRUVANANTHAPURAM The new taxon of Lycaenid flies belonging to the subfami- Agroup of lepidopterists have butterflies belonging to the ly Lycaenidae and their added a species to the expand- Nacaduba genus had been distribution ranges from India ing list of butterflies in India. first sighted by a team com- and Sri Lar ~a to the whole of The discovery of the species prising Kalesh Sadasivan and .. southeastern Asia, Australia Nacaduba sinhala ramaswa- Baiju K, representing the Tra- and Samoa. mii Sadasivan, 2021 in the vancore Nature.History Socie- It is the first time that a but- Agasthyamalaisin the Western ty, Rahul Khot of the Bombay terfly species was discovered The new species found in Ghats a decade ago has now Natural History Society, and by an all-Indian research team the Agasthyamalai. found place in the Journal of Ramasamy Naicker from The- from the Western Ghats. •••• THE DU 19Y\16l a\ ~ ®®6lJIT~rr" , . 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