A rare butterfly species has been spotted in Sauraha, Chitwan, for the first time in over 51 years


The silver-streaked acacia blue, known in Nepali as Chandi Dhasre Babulpari, was seen near the entrance of Chitwan National Park on Tuesday. Butterfly expert Tek Bahadur Gurung said the species was last recorded in Nepal in 1974. Its rediscovery has given conservationists hope that Nepal’s butterfly diversity may be richer than previously believed.

Local nature guide Rojan Subedi first spotted the butterfly and informed Gurung, who arrived with fellow butterfly watchers Milan Tamang, Bishal Lama, and Basu Bidari to photograph and document it. National and international experts later confirmed the rare find. The only previous sighting in Nepal was by Colin Smith, known as Putali Baje, in Makawanpur 51 years ago.

The butterfly’s scientific name is Zinaspa todara. Gurung highlighted that Nepal is home to 692 known butterfly species, with Chitwan alone hosting more than 312. Butterflies, he said, are important indicators of environmental health, key pollinators for agriculture, and an attraction for eco-tourism.

The discovery comes just months after a nationwide butterfly census in March, organized by Butterfly Watchers Nepal to document species diversity, distribution, and trends across the country.

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