When ‘Tamil Maravan’ or ‘Tamil Yeoman’ (Cirrochroa thais) was named the butterfly of Tamil Nadu in 2019, it was a credit to years of efforts made by scientists, biologists and butterfly enthusiasts who painstakingly observed, documented and put together their thoughts in butterfly conservation in the Tamil landscape.
Tamil Nadu is home to 328 species of butterflies and the status of 322 of them has been revalidated as of now. The State boasts 95% of the 346 butterfly species that inhabit the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot.
