Once MP notifies the Orange Oakleaf as its state butterfly, it will become perhaps the first state in central India to do so.

The Orange Oakleaf butterfly flies in the Himalayas at low elevations, from Jammu and Kashmir to Garhwal and Kumaon, and across West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and other northeastern states. It is also found in central and peninsular India, including Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

It flies along the central Indian highlands to Pachmarhi and Amarkantak in the Satpura Mountain Range in Madhya Pradesh.

Its wings are shaped like a leaf when in a closed position. When the wings are closed, only the cryptic underside markings are visible. The resemblance to a dried leaf—a masquerade—is extremely realistic and gives the genus its common names, the oakleaf or dead leaf.

“Butterflies occupy a key position in ecosystem stability by acting as pollinators, helping plants reproduce and being a critical part of the food web or chain also, rendering a food source for predators like birds and bats. They are also vital environmental indicators, as their sensitivity to changes in their habitat signals the overall health of an ecosystem,” the PCCF-Wildlife said.

Notification of a state butterfly by the forest- and wildlife-rich state will also promote focussed research on various butterflies in MP, which is already considered home to 150 to 175 butterfly varieties.