UPSC Prelims 2016 · Question 15 of 98
UPSC Prelims 2016 question on State Butterfly
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2016
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectInternational Relations
- TopicCurrent Affairs
- DifficultyMedium
- TypeDirect
Recently, for the first time in our country, which of the following States has declared a particular butterfly as 'State Butterfly'?
Show answer
Answer: D. Maharashtra
Verdict
The answer is Maharashtra. It became the first State in India to declare a State butterfly.
Analysis
Maharashtra declared the Blue Mormon as its State butterfly, the first such designation in the country. The Blue Mormon is a large swallowtail found mainly in Sri Lanka and India, largely restricted to the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, south India and the coastal belt, and it is reportedly the second largest butterfly found in India after the Southern Birdwing. It is not considered threatened and occurs through the year, most commonly during and just after the monsoon.
Source
The Hindu report on Maharashtra getting a State butterfly.
How to crack it
For a first in the country question, the answer is fixed by a single dated announcement, so the only preparation that works is logging firsts as they are reported. Note the ecological cross check available here: the species chosen is a Western Ghats butterfly, which points to a Western Ghats State, and of the four options only Maharashtra qualifies. Where a designation is species specific, the range of the species narrows the candidate States for you.
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