NATIONAL BUTTERFLY OF INDIA - A CITIZEN POLL

WHY A NATIONAL BUTTERFLY?
Butterflies are ambassadors of nature conservation, and they are important biological indicators that reflect the health of our environment. To create awareness about butterflies among the citizens of India and to celebrate our national natural treasures, we butterfly enthusiasts and nature-lovers from all over the country have gathered as a National Butterfly Campaign Consortium to nominate India's National Butterfly. We already have our National Bird, National Animal, National Flower and National Tree, but we still do not have the National Butterfly. Considering the ecological importance, conservation significance, and growing popularity of butterflies among the general public, it is high time we nominated the National Butterfly. In a true democratic manner, we believe that ordinary citizens should drive this effort, which might be a first for India.
HOW WAS THE FINAL LIST OF SPECIES FOR THE NATIONAL BUTTERFLY POLL ARRIVED AT?
Prominent stalwarts in the field of butterfly biology and conservation across India came together on a single platform to derive the following criteria for selecting the National Butterfly:
1. The butterfly should have cultural, ecological and conservation significance for the nation as well as internationally.
2. The butterfly should be charismatic.
3. The butterfly should have an inherently attractive biological aspect that is engaging to the public.
4. The butterfly should be easily identified, observed and remembered.
5. The species should not have multiple forms.
6. The butterfly caterpillars should not be harmful or a pest.
7. The butterfly should not be too commonplace.
8. Avoid species which are already designated as a State Butterfly.
Considering the above criteria, the Consortium arrived at a final list of about 50 butterfly species. From these, a scoring system was used in voting by all the Consortium members to shortlist the final seven species given below.
HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THIS LANDMARK EFFORT:
Kindly cast your vote on the poll page (http://tiny.cc/nationalbutterflypoll) to choose the National Butterfly, and share the link with your friends and family so that they can vote, too. Please vote only once. The poll will start on 11th September and conclude on 8th October 2020, at the end of the Wildlife Week.
Thank you for supporting this worthwhile initiative.
— National Butterfly Campaign Consortium (10 September 2020).
THE CONTENDERS FOR THE NATIONAL BUTTERFLY







We would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Nawang G. Bhutia, Mr. Atanu Bora, Mr. Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi, Dr. Krushnamegh Kunte, Mr. Ishwar Maanay, Mr. Arjan Basu Roy, Dr. Kalesh Sadasivan, Mr. Vivek Sarkar, and Mr. Sharan Venkatesh for contributing the photographs.
Cite this page along with its URL as:
. . 2021. National Butterfly Of India - A Citizen Poll. In Kunte, K., S. Sondhi, and P. Roy (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 3.06. Indian Foundation for Butterflies.