Himalaya Darpan | October 16, 2025
The article traces the rich historical legacy of butterfly studies in the Darjeeling–Sikkim region, Khangchendzonga Landscape, a globally recognised biodiversity hotspot. It highlights how British naturalists during the colonial period such as H.J. Elwes, O. Möller, L. de Nicéville, and C.M. Inglis pioneered the documentation and collection of butterfly species, often with help from local Lepcha collectors. Many of these specimens are still preserved today at the Bengal Natural History Museum within the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling. The article emphasises that while these early collections have often been overlooked, they remain invaluable for understanding present-day species diversity, phenology, and conservation in the Eastern Himalaya.
