Branded Orange Owlet is a rarely seen butterfly in Corbett Tiger Reserve. It is known to occur in the Himalayas from Garhwal eastward to Northeast India and into Southeast Asia from Myanmar to Indonesia. It belongs to the Skipper family of butterflies, so called for their quick darting flight. This crepuscular butterfly is known to have a woody climber called Hiptage benghalensis, locally known as ‘Madhavi Lata’ as its host plant.
Butterflies, like all other insect species are threatened by climatic changes. Being delicate creatures, they are vulnerable to minor seasonal changes. Moreover, any changes to their habitat affects them faster than many other creatures. Butterflies have strong association with their host plants as they lay their eggs on these plants and their caterpillars feed on the leaves of these plants. A sudden decrease in the number of their host plants can have catastrophic impact on the local populations of butterflies.
At Jim’s Jungle Retreat, we have an amazing diversity of butterflies as there are over 140 species of trees, shrubs and grasses recorded on the property. This ensures that more than half of the species of butterflies known to occur in Corbett Tiger Reserve have been recorded on this 15 acre biodiversity hotspot. This beautiful Branded Orange Owlet was recently photographed by our Chief Naturalist Manoj Sharma at Jim’s Jungle Retreat.
Branded Orange Owlet – Another rare butterfly shows up at Jim’s Jungle Retreat
