A rare form of Philomella common wanderer butterfly that was documented by Smita Rani Mishra, a butterfly enthusiast in Puthurai near Puducherry | Photo credit: Special Arrangement
A rare phylomela form of the common wanderer butterfly. Pareronia hippiaswas first documented in Poothurai in Villupuram district by a butterfly enthusiast. Until now, this butterfly species has historically been more commonly associated with northeast India and surrounding regions.
Records from peninsular India are comparatively sparse, making sightings at Puthurai near Puducherry a rare occurrence.
The butterfly was recently observed by Smita Rani Mishra, a resident of Puducherry in Mathur Udyanam, a subdivision of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. The man was found resting and fluttering among vegetation on campus during the hot and humid summer.
“The sighting was photographed in the field and the individual was later identified as an unusual form of Philomella common wanderer. Philomel shape, including pale yellowish coloration at the base of the wings, translucent whitish areas, prominent dark venation and a faint yellow coating at the bases of the wings. These markings distinguish it from the more commonly encountered forms of the common wanderer. The identification was confirmed by renowned lepidopterologist Isaac Kehimkar, former director of the Bombay Natural History Society (BHNS),” Smita said.
According to the naturalist, “This observation is important as it provides evidence of a rare form of Pareronia hippia from the Puducherry-Villupuram-Auroville-Cuddalore (PVAC) bioregion. The observation at Mathurudyanam expands the known distribution of this rare form in southern India. It also highlights the ecological value of green spaces maintained by institutions such as the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, which can serve as a sanctuary for butterflies and others pollinators.”
Systematic observations in Pooturai and the PVAC landscape may help establish whether the philomela form is just an occasional visitor or part of a little-known southern population.
The findings also support the need to conserve natural and semi-natural vegetation, especially in rapidly changing peri-urban landscapes in the PVAC bioregion, where butterflies and other pollinators are abundant, Smita said.
Published – September 16, 2026 4:47 pm EST.
