Diversity of Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) of Jhargram District, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Butterflies are the most attractive insects in the world due to its coloration, thus also one of the most-known groups. Present study shows that butterfly diversity of Jhargram district for first time by providing annotate checklist of butterflies with scientific name. Study represents a total number of 132 butterfly species including 84 genera and 6 families. Out of these 6 families Lycaenidae is the most dominant including 42 species and 31 genus, followed by Nymphalidae comprising 38 species and 20 genus, Hesperidae consisting 19 species and 16 genus, Pieridae containing 18 species and 12 genus, Papilionidae 13 species and 4 genus, and Riodinidae with 2 species and single genus. During our exhaustive surveys we conclude that Grass Jewel (Chilades trochylus) and Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnester) is the smallest and largest butterfly respectively in Jhargram. All taxonomical data were collected by Pollard Walk (transect) method with regular intervals for 3 years by group surveys at different selected location of Jhargram district. Butterflies are very sensitive to ecological parameters, and well known for their ecological services, though some are pest of several plants. Rapid deforestation, urbanization and loss of sense of humor cause serious threats to the species and lead the species became extinct. Present paper contribute the first attempts for understand the butterfly diversity of Jhargram with their respective photographs, wingspan and abundance, diversity measuring indices, life cycle and ecological services.