Initial Colonization of Red Pierrot Talicada nyseus nyseus (Guérin- Méneville, 1843) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae) in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya, India

Sikkim forming part of the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot harbors more than half of the butterfly diversity of India.Since its first records from Uttarakhand two decades ago, Red Pierrot Talicada nyseus nyseus (Gurin-Mneville, 1843) have been reported from other parts of the Indian Himalayan region and Bhutan.We report new distribution records of T. n. nyseus from May 2002 to August 2024 and its initial colonization in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya, India.We have reviewed past studies on its distribution, habitat, autecology, and colonization.The study also provides future research perspectives to understand better the sub-species, distribution, colonization, and autecology of T. nyseus and their population monitoring within the Himalaya, NE India and elsewhere in its geographical range.