Indexing

A Preliminary Study on the Status and Distribution of Butterfly Fauna in and around the valley of Reetha Sahib, Champawat, Kumaun Himalaya, India

Author: Aman Verma* and Manoj K. Arya**

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Abstract

The present study was the first attempt to determine the status and distribution of butterflies in the valley of Meetha Reetha Sahib (Ladhiya valley) located in district Champawat, Uttarakhand. No previous information is available regarding the butterflies inhabiting this region, so the area was surveyed from August, 2016 to July, 2017 based on observations and sightings for records of the butterfly fauna. The study revealed a total of 2523 individuals of butterflies belonging to 62 species and five families. Nymphalidae was the most dominant family with 33 species and averaging 53.22% of the total recorded species of butterflies from the present study area, followed by Pieridae (10 species and 16.13%), Lycaenidae (10 species and 16.13%), Papilionidae (Six species and 9.68%) and Hesperiidae (Three species and 4.84%), respectively. Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus) was

Keywords

Butterflies, Conservation, Diversity, Family, Himalayas, Seasons, Status.

Conclusion

Our investigations on butterflies emphasises the importance of the study area in terms of preferred habitat providing them food and better breeding sites. The total numbers of recorded butterfly fauna from the present study site constituted 19.20% of butterflies from Uttarakhand, India. The provided information can be used for formulating any imperative measures on butterfly conservation that should be adopted for maintenance of sacrosanctity and sustainability of the habitat. It is also suggested that the present checklist should not be considered conclusive as there is a need for further elaborative studies and taxonomic additions from the present study site.

References

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How to cite this article

Aman Verma* and Manoj K. Arya (2018). A Preliminary Study on the Status and Distribution of Butterfly Fauna in and around the valley of Reetha Sahib, Champawat, Kumaun Himalaya, India , Biological Forum – An International Journal ,10(1): 43-51.