- Tamil Nadu has recently declared ”Tamil Yeoman” as its State Butterfly. Locally it is called Tamil as ‘maravan’ meaning Tamil meaning warrior.
- Tamil Nadu is fifth State to declare a State butterfly. Other states are Maharashtra (Blue Mormon), Kerala (Malabar Banded Peacock), Uttarakhand (Common Peacock) and Karnataka (Southern Birdwing).
- There are about five butterflies endemic to the Western Ghat that bear the prefix ‘Tamil’ in their names. But Tamil Yeoman species scored high as it is found in abundance across most parts of the State.
- Tamil Nadu is the only State to choose a member of the Nymphalidae family, members of which are not considered attractive and colourful.
- Tamil Yeoman feeds only on wild plants found in the Western Ghats. Endemic to the biodiversity hotspot of Western Ghats, Tamil Yeoman is usually seen at the foothills and moist evergreen forests of the state’s mountainous regions.
- Butterflies are great bio-indicators of an ecosystem as they are highly sensitive to environmental conditions such as temperature, sunlight, humidity and rainfall patterns.
Tamil Nadu symbols
- State tree: palmyra
- State flower: Gloriosa lily
- State bird: Emerald dove
- State fruit: Jackfruit
- State animal: Nilgiri tahr
