There are 11 families of butterflies that can be spotted in Nepal, out of 15 in the world. We find over 500 species of butterflies in Nepal. Britain studied & started to collect butterflies since 150 years ago. Since 1950 Japan have also been involved in the scientific expedition. Later the Natural History Museum at Swayambunath was established in 1974. Because of the diversity in geography, we find various kinds of butterflies in Nepal.

During winter, there is very little activity except for the very common Oriental Species.  The Palaearctic species can be found above 3,000 meters, and about 90% Oriental species below 3,000 meters can be spotted.

Within the Kathmandu Valley, the mild climate with day temperatures reaching 18ºC in mid-winter, there are butterflies all the year round. About 20 species in the Kathmandu Valley are on the endangered or vulnerable list.

The best seasons for butterfly watching are late March/April, mid May/ mid June, and late August/September. There are forested areas in the valley which are still remarkable places for butterflies, and they include open country near Chobar and Swyambhu; the base of the hills and forest streams at Godavari, Nagarjun, Budhanilkantha and Sundarijal; the forested hilltops of Phulchowki, Jamachowk and Shivapuri, and the open scrubby bush areas of Nagarkot, Suryavinyak and Chandragiri.National parks & areas without settlement are the ideal locations.