A Himalayan butterfly species was recently added to the UAE list by locally-based naturalist Binish Roobas.
The Indian Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius) was found in the wild in Wadi Wurayah National Park (WWNP) in Fujairah earlier this month, says a report from Emirates News Agency (WAM).
This brings the UAE butterfly total to 58 species and considered to be a first for Arabia.
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The butterfly was discovered during a visit to update earlier surveys of plant and insect diversity in Wadi Wurayah.
This type of butterfly is usually common in the Himalayan regions of Northern India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nepal.
Roobas was able to photograph both a male and female of the species.
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According to the report, the new species is an opportunistic migrant that probably arrived to take advantage of the favourable conditions created by abundant rainfall from October until January.
However, it is unlikely that they will remain for the UAE summer.
