THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONSORTIUM ON BUTTERFLY NAMES

Describing and naming of organisms in the Linnean system is an important exercise that facilitates broadly understood scientific communication. Standardising English and other regional names of organisms also makes it possible to facilitate communication among scientists, naturalists, general public, and policy making/implementing agencies. To serve these critical goals in the context of Indian butterflies, The Indian National Consortium on Butterfly Names, established in 2023 and also known by its Hindi name, Rashtriya Titli Namkaran Sabha, is tasked with:

  1. Compiling and continually updating the systematics, taxonomy and nomenclature of Indian butterflies based on:
    (a) new scientific works and assessments of total evidence (genetic/genomic, genitalia structures and other morphological distinctions, distributional ranges, biology, etc.),
    (b) modern concepts of species and subspecies, and phylogenetic principles.
  2. Standardising scientific names of Indian butterflies based on:
    (a) evaluating total evidence for genus-species combinations based on recent scientific literature (including phylogenetic resolutions), inspection of museum specimens, and current opinions of subject experts,
    (b) compliance of scientific names, especially species and subspecies names, used in the Indian context with internationally well-established systematics and taxonomic practices based on the ICZN Code and other standard scientific authorities,
    (c) inspection of specimens in museums, and
    (d) advice of international subject experts on molecular systematics and taxonomy of butterflies.
  3. Standardising English names of Indian butterflies based on:
    (a) names used in the past, as long as they comply with current scientific knowledge and expert opinion,
    (b) names that conform with current social norms
    (b) names that are descriptive and specific in terms of distinctive identification features, behaviours, narrow endemism, and other meaningful biological aspects of a species, rather than based on names of people, or vague terms such as 'southern' and 'eastern'.

The following examples illustrate these principles of updating and standardising scientific and English names of butterflies, with further specific details found on species pages on this website, which will also be published eventually in scientific and popular articles, books, brochures and other print, online and mobile media:

Byasa polla is now named de Nicéville's Windmill e.g., Nigger, Coon and Darkie, will be replaced with currently acceptable names

Updating scientific and English names of butterfly species is a continually ongoing exercise as new scientific research papers get published and expert and public opinions change. Hence, if you find any discrepancies between the names standardised by this Commission in relation to names used elsewhere, please bring this to our notice. We will re-review the scientific and English names based on the above principles, and update the notes on species names as required.

Proposed Composition of The Indian National Consortium on Butterfly Names:

Chair: Prof. Krushnamegh Kunte (National Centre for Biological Sciences, and Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust, Bengaluru)
Secretary: Mr. Fahim Khan (Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust, Bengaluru)

Members of The Consortium Committee (proposed, yet to be finalised):

  • Dr. Dipendra Nath Basu (Ashoka University, Haryana)
  • Dr. Rupak Dey (former PCCF Wildlife, Uttar Pradesh)
  • Dr. Raju Kasambe (The Nature Conservancy, India)
  • Mr. Fahim Khan (Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust, Bengaluru)
  • Prof. Ullasa Kodandaramaiah (IISER TVM)
  • Dr. Sanjai Mohan (former PCCF Wildlife, Karnataka)
  • Dr. Navneet Singh (Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata)
  • Mr. Sanjay Sondhi (Titli Trust, Dehradun)

International Scientific Advisory Committee (proposed, yet to be finalised):

  • Dr. Michael Braby (Australia)
  • Mr. Adam Cotton (Thailand)
  • Dr. Blanca Huertas (Natural History Museum, London, UK)
  • Prof. Akito Kawahara (McGuire Centre for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, USA)
  • Prof. David Lohman (New York University, USA)
  • Prof. Naomi Pierce (Harvard University, USA)
  • Mr. Purnendu Roy (Andorra)
  • Prof. Niklas Wahlberg (Lund University, USA)
  • Prof. Keith Wilmott (McGuire Centre for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, USA)
  • Dr. Masaya Yago (University Museum, University of Tokyo, Japan)
     

EXPLORE OUR BUTTERFLY NAMING PROJECTS:

If you are interested in joining one of our naming projects, or wish to start a new naming project in your regional language under the umbrella of The Indian National Butterfly Naming Consortium, then contact us.

 

Page citation

Kunte, K., and S. Sondhi. 2025. THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONSORTIUM ON BUTTERFLY NAMES . In Kunte, K., S. Sondhi, and P. Roy (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 4.12. Indian Foundation for Butterflies.