MAHARASHTRA
Blue Mormon, the second largest butterfly found in India, was the choice of research scholars and nature lovers alike. Maharashtra has become the first State in the country to have a 'State butterfly.' The BJP-led government has declared the Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) as the State butterfly.
**Maharashtra has become the first State in the country to have a ‘State butterfly.’
The BJP-led government has declared the Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) as the State butterfly. The decision was taken at a meeting of the State Wildlife Board in Mumbai on Monday.
The Blue Mormon is a large, swallowtail butterfly found primarily in Sri Lanka and India, mainly restricted to the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, South India and coastal belts. It may occasionally be spotted in the Maharashtrian mainland between Vidarbha and Western Maharashtra.**