Blue Duke declared as the State Butterfly of Sikkim.

• Blue Duke, a native butterfly species of Sikkim, edged past another contender Krishna Peacock to be announced as the State Butterfly of Sikkim.
• The two butterflies, among the 720-odd butterfly species, had been shortlisted for the State Butterfly nominations.

About the Blue Duke:

• The Blue Duke represents Sikkim with its two unique colours blue representing the sky and white depicting the snow clad mountains of the Himalayas, it is befitting to Sikkim and its unique identity.
• Blue Duke is found at an altitude below 1,500 metres in the Himalayas.
• Blue Duke which is also called Bassarona durga durga is unique to Sikkim and Eastern Himalayas, first discovered in the State in 1858.
• Blue Duke falls in the Schedule 2 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and is a highly protected species of butterfly in the Himalayas.