Udaipur : The biodiversity-rich region of Mewar-Wagad, known for its natural beauty, continues to witness sightings of rare insects, wildlife, and flora. In a recent event, a rare butterfly called the ‘Anomalous Nawab’ was spotted in Sector 14 of Udaipur on Sunday.
Butterfly expert Mukesh Panwar informed that Neha Manohar, an environmentalist and butterfly researcher, spotted the butterfly in her garden. She noticed the butterfly feeding on the sap of a fig fruit and clicked its photograph. Panwar explained that the scientific name of this butterfly is Charaxes agrarius, and its wingspan measures around 9-10 cm. The butterfly typically completes its life cycle on the Khair tree and prefers feeding on ripe fruit sap. While it is generally found in forests, its appearance in urban areas is considered rare. Panwar further noted that he was the first to document its life cycle in Sagwara.
He added that while this butterfly was previously mistaken for the Common Nawab in Rajasthan, research papers did not mention the ‘Anomalous Nawab.’ In Rajasthan, only the Anomalous Nawab has been recorded, and the Common Nawab has never been observed here. One key difference is that the Common Nawab has a single spot on the upper tip of its wing when closed, while the Anomalous Nawab has two spots.
Renowned butterfly expert Peter Smetacek also highlighted that spotting the ‘Anomalous Nawab’ in Udaipur’s urban area is rare. He mentioned that while this butterfly is mostly found in forested areas, it prefers less humid forests over more humid ones.