Although only a small Indian state (some 7,300 sq.km), the physical diversity of Sikkim, and its position astride the border between the Palaearctic and oriental regions, ensures a significantly diversified butterfly fauna. The total number of known species, approaching 700, is comparable with that of neighbouring Nepal, a country some 20 times greater in area. All told, about half the total number of species recorded from the Indian subcontinent occur in Sikkim. ...
