European Red Admiral butterfly sighted near Dharamshala in the mountain range of Dhauladhar in Himachal Pradesh.

In a remarkable first for India’s lepidopteran records, the European Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), a widely distributed migratory butterfly species, has been sighted and documented in Himachal Pradesh. The species was observed near Dharamshala in the Dhauladhar mountain range, marking its maiden appearance in the country.

The sighting, made on April 22 during a butterfly survey, was confirmed by Lovish Garlani, an expert on Himalayan butterflies associated with the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department. “A single specimen was recorded at Thatharna Hill, near Dharamshala, at an elevation of 2,500 metres,” Sanjeev Kumar, Range Forest Officer, Bhattiyat Forest Range in the Chamba district, told The Hindu.

This unprecedented record elevates the total number of butterfly species documented in Himachal Pradesh to 440. Mr. Kumar noted that the finding significantly contributes to the region’s biodiversity data and underscores its ecological importance.

The European Red Admiral is well known for its extensive migratory patterns across Europe and North America. Though historically unreported from India, the species has previously been documented in parts of Central and South Asia. “Its last confirmed record in South Asia was from Balochistan in 1929, and it was rediscovered in Pakistan’s Lower Chitral region in 2022 after a 93 year gap,” Mr. Garlani said.

Interestingly, there remain no confirmed records of the species from China, Mongolia, or Afghanistan, making the Dharamshala sighting especially noteworthy. According to Mr. Garlani, this observation suggests a possible eastward expansion of the species’ known range within the Eurasian corridor.

The larvae of the European Red Admiral primarily feed on stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), a plant species found abundantly across the Western Himalayas. “The host plant’s availability, coupled with conducive climatic conditions, could be a factor driving the butterfly’s migration into Indian territory,” Mr. Garlani explained. However, he cautioned that it remains to be seen whether the sighting represents an isolated migratory event or indicates the establishment of a breeding population in the region.

Morphologically, the European Red Admiral bears close resemblance to its cousin, the Indian Red Admiral (Vanessa indica), but can be distinguished by its narrower, deeper crimson discal band and the consistent presence of a diagnostic spot in the upper forewing – a feature absent in the Indian species.

The discovery adds a new dimension to butterfly conservation efforts in the Himalayas and may prompt further research into species distribution under shifting climatic and ecological conditions.