WAX DART (Cupitha purreea) - A New record for Goa

One December 24, 2010 enroute to the Sonal Waterfall near Toduo Village in Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, I, Sangam Patil and Omkar Dharwadkar documented the Wax Dart (Cupitha purreea), a skipper butterfly belonging to the Hesperidae Family which was earlier known only from the Southern Western Ghats. Found commonly in North-East India, the butterfly is rare in the South. The underside of this species is unmarked and sulphur yellow in colour. The documentation of this species from the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary from where 3 species of butterflies were recently reported for the first time, highlights the biological diversity and conservation importance of this area.