New butterfly species discovered in SW China's Tibet
The newly-discovered species of the white hairstreak butterfly hovers on a flower at Tsawalung Township of Zayul County, Nyingchi, Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, on Sept 12, 2020. [Photo by Dawa/chinadaily.com.cn]
A new species of the white hairstreak butterfly was recently found in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, which had never been traced in the area before.
Jia Fenghai, a famous Chinese butterfly expert, confirmed that the butterfly found in Tsawalung Township of Zayul County, Nyingchi, with black dots on its wings, is a type of the white hairstreak.
The butterfly was found by Dawa, an associate researcher from the Institute of Plateau Biology in Tibet.
The butterfly's larvae will fall on the ground and emit the smell of the hormone of black ant larva before passing ants are attracted and take it to their nest. The larvae will feed on the ants' larva and pupate in their nest, according to researchers.