New butterfly species spotted on Mount Tai

The butterfly has a body and wings that are black-brown, and can be distinguished by the black spot at the end of the forewing and a row of orange spots near the outer edge of both wings. [Photo/Tai'an Daily]

The Ariciachinensis butterfly species was discovered for the first time on Mount Tai in Tai'an on Oct 23.

This species of butterfly has a wingspan ranging from 28 to 32 millimeters. The butterfly has a body and wings that are black-brown, and can be distinguished by the black spot at the end of the forewing and a row of orange spots near the outer edge of both wings. The underside of the wings is gray-brown and many black spots and a row of red markings can be found near the outer edge.

This species can be found in various regions including North China.

The appearance of the butterfly in the area is a testament to the many efforts made to improve the ecological environment at the Mount Tai Scenic Area in recent years.

To date, there have been 371 recorded species of wild birds on Mount Tai, 223 more species than previously recorded. Over 900 new insect species have also been found in recent years.

In addition, the scenic area is home to 1,664 Baer's Pochards, an endangered bird species.

The Ariciachinensis butterfly species is discovered for the first time on Mount Tai in Tai'an on Oct 23. [Photo/Tai'an Daily]