A winged visitor lands in Dharamsala

In a remarkable discovery during a recent butterfly survey around the Dharamsala region, the European Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) was recorded for the first time in India. This first-ever national record was made at Thatharna hilltop, near Dharamsala, at an elevation of 2,500 metres. The lone specimen was spotted and identified by Lovish Garlani, a butterfly research expert who has been studying the butterflies of the Western Himalayas since 2009.

The European Red Admiral is a widely distributed species known for its long-distance migration, but until now, it had never been reported from India.

Speaking to The Tribune, Lovish noted, “The European Red Admiral shares the same habitat and host plants as the Indian Red Admiral and Indian Tortoiseshell. It will be interesting to observe how these native species interact with this new guest. Given the ecological similarities, it’s possible that the species may already be more widely distributed across India, especially in Jammu & Kashmir. Further surveys are essential, particularly in the Western Himalayas.”

Globally, the European Red Admiral is found across North America, from Canada to Mexico and is well-established in Central Asia. In South Asia, it was last reported in 1929 from the Baluchistan province. However, there have been no confirmed records from neighbouring countries like China, Mongolia or Afghanistan. This new sighting from Dharamsala suggests a significant expansion of the species’ Eurasian range.

The larvae of the European Red Admiral primarily feed on stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), a plant that grows abundantly throughout the Western Himalayan region. The availability of host plants, along with suitable climatic conditions, could be contributing factors to its active migration. “It is difficult to say whether this sighting represents a rare migratory event or signals the establishment of a resident population in the region,” Lovish added.

Visually, the European Red Admiral closely resembles its cousin, the Indian Red Admiral. However, it can be distinguished by a narrower, darker crimson-red discal band on its upper forewings, compared to the broader, paler scarlet-red band with irregular margins seen in the Indian counterpart.

Sanjeev Kumar, a passionate butterfly researcher and current Range Officer in the Forest Department, emphasised the significance of this record. “This first sighting of the European Red Admiral from Dharamsala adds a new species to the recently published checklist of butterflies of Himachal Pradesh, raising the total count for the state to 440,” he stated.

Himachal Tribune