Abstract
Puyankutty forest of the Idukki District of Kerala has attracted considerable amount of public interest due to a controversial hydroelectric dam proposal. A rapid survey of the butterflies conducted at seven random locations revealed a total of 32 species of butterflies belonging to five families including a few endemic and rare species. The Puyankutty area is currently under severe anthropogenic pressure and minimising these disturbances is important for the long-term survival of specialist butterflies.