Tamil Yeoman | 03 Jul 2019

Tamil Nadu has declared the Tamil Yeoman butterfly species (endemic to western ghats) as the state butterfly.

• Tamil Yeoman (Cirrochroa thais) is uniformly orange in colour with a dark brown outer ring.
• Also known as tamil maravan which means warrior.
• Tamil Yeoman butterfly species moves in groups in large numbers, but at few places and are found mainly in hilly areas.
• Butterflies are significant for environment as they play the main role in pollination and food chain.
  
  • For many other species like birds and reptiles, butterflies become a prey.
• Tamil Nadu is the fifth state in the country to announce its state butterfly and Maharashtra was the first in the country to announce its state butterfly (Blue Mormon) followed by Uttarakhand (Common Peacock), Karnataka (the Southern Birdwing) and Kerala (Malabar banded peacock or buddha butterfly).