RARE BUTTERFLIES

DUKE OF BURGUNDY

A native of the UK and is fond of clearings and grasslands.

GLASSWINGED

Found in Mexico through Panama though some species

have been spotted in Venezuela. 

KAISER-I-HIND

The name "kaiser-i-hind" literally means "Emperor of India"

and this butterfly that is native to India belongs to the swallowtail family.

MUTATED SPANGLE

Belonging to the swallowtail family, the mutated spangle butterfly 

(Papilio protenor)was previously considered extinct until their

rediscovery in India where they are believed to be native species.

NORTHERN BROWN ARGUS

Another native butterfly of Great Britain is the northern brown argus 

(Aricia artaxerxes). According to studies,

it solely feeds on the common rock-rose.

QUEEN ALEXANDRA’S BIRDWING

Named after Queen Alexandra of the UK in 1907, Queen Alexandra's birdwing

(Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest in the world with the

female's wingspan reaching a length of 12.2 inches.

PALOS VERDES BLUE

The Palos Verdes blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis) 

is considered by many as the rarest butterfly in the world and

unfortunately, also an endangered species. They are limitedly distributed to

the Palos Verdes Peninsula in California are relatively small with an average

wingspan of only 0.97 to 1.17 inches.

PEARL-BORDERED FRITILLARY

Although the pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne) occurs in

various parts of Europe, its number has rapidly declined through the years

making it rare and slightly threatened.

SATURN

Found in the Philippines, Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra.

 The males of the species has a deeper, stronger colour than

their female counterparts. The butterfly prefers the meat of rotting fruits.

SILVERY MEADOW BLUE

The silvery meadow blue butterfly (Polyommatus florience) has been spotted in

Pakistan, Afghanistan and more recently in Himachal Pradesh, India.

The species are believed to make meadows and clearings its habitat.