Key Assam swallowtail butterfly habitat faces citrus threat.

• A study in the Bodoland Territorial Region, India, found that overexploitation of 25 medicinal plant species is threatening swallowtail butterflies.
• The study, conducted in the region, identified illegal cattle farming, agriculture and tea cultivation, illegal tree felling, and pesticide use as key contributors to the decline.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature has declared the northeastern part of India a “swallowtail-rich zone.”
• The study documented 4,267 individuals belonging to 35 species, three endemic to the region, and 12 federally protected.
• The butterflies in the region’s Manas Biosphere Reserve rely on 25 plant species from six families as their essential food sources.
• The study suggests that the decline in the wild population of citrus species may be a possible reason for the disappearance of these butterfly species.
• The exploitation of plants from the family Aristolochiaceae has affected the density of swallowtails belonging to the Atrophaneura, Pachliopta, and Triodes genera.
• The lack of related host plant resources raises concerns about the long-term survival and ecological well-being of these species.