Recent sightings of two very rare butterflies, Lethe margaritae Elwes, 1882 and Neptis nycteus de Nicéville, 1890, from Sikkim, eastern Himalaya, India

Abstract

Lethe margaritae Elwes, 1882 and Neptis nycteus de Nicéville, 1890 are very rare butterflies that are endemic to the Himalaya, and are legally protected in India. However, they have not been recorded in India in nearly 100 years. Here we review the available published information on their type localities, distribution and other natural history, and then report two recent sightings from Sikkim, northeastern India. Our sightings constitute rediscoveries of the Indian populations of these species.