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ESSENC
CE - Interna
ational Jourrnal for Envvironmentaal Rehabilitaation and Conservation
n
Volume VI: No. 1 2015 [103
[ – 108] [ISS
SN 0975 - 62722]
[ww
ww.essence-jouurnal.com]

Diversiity of butteerflies (Leepidopteraa: Insecta)) from New

w Nagziraa Wildlife
Sanctuaary: Zonee III in NN NTR, Mahaarashtra, India

Bhandarrkar, S.V.1 and

a Paliwall, G.T. 2

Received: March 11, 2015

2 ⏐ Accep
pted: April 255, 2015 ⏐ Onlline: June 30,, 2015

Abstractt Intrroduction
Buttterflies are beautifuul and atttractive,
A study on diversity y of the Buutterfly speccies
valuuable pollinnators, they gather necctar and
was carrried out at a New Naagzira wildllife
perfforms imporrtant role inn food chaiin. They
Sanctuaryy: Zone IIII in NNTR R (Navegaoon-
are also goodd indicators of enviroonmental
Nagzira Tiger Reeserve) District Gondia
quaality as they are sensitivve to changees in the
Maharashhtra India in n the month of Novembber,
envvironment (S Sharma and Joshi, 20099). From
2014. A total of 25 5 species belonging
b too 5
families of order Lep the time immem morial, buttterflies havee always
pidoptera weere reported.. In
the preseent study butterfly fasccinated humaankind. Amoong insects, they are
b speecies diverssity
certtainly the most
m populaar and bestt known
were reported in the familyy Hesperiiddae,
grouup and that is
i probably whyw they aree among
Papilioniidae, Pieridae,
P Lycaeniddae,
Nymphallidae in wh hich family Nymphaliddae the most studiedd insect. Theere was a tim me when
buttterflies were collected by hobbyiists like
were doominant wiith 14 species under 6
posttage stampps. Much informatioon was
subfamilies. From the t conservation point of
gennerated durring that period onn their
view, thee study area is undisturbbed and richh in
taxoonomy, miigration, variation,
v m
mimicry,
flora andd fauna. Thiss documentattion on speccies
specciation andd evolutionaary biologyy, today
diversity of Butterflyy will be helpful for bettter
seveeral speciess of butterrflies are used u by
conservaation and management
m t planning of
connservation biiologists as indicator sppecies to
biodiverssity.
idenntify habitatss that are criitical and neeed to be
Keyword ds: Butterfly
y | species diversity
d | New
N
prottected. Buttterflies are also monittored to
Nagzira | conservatio
on
indiicate climatte change and enviroonmental
For corresspondence: deggradation. Thus,
T like other anim mals and
1
2
Dept. of Zoology,
Z M. B. Patel
P College, Deeori. Gondia birdds. Butterfliies are now w studied as living
Dept. of Zoology,
Z S. S. Jaiiswal College, Arjuni/Mor.
A Gonndia
Email: [email protected] ecollogical com mponents (Kehimkar,
( 2011).
103
 wal /Vol. VI [11] 2015/103 – 108 
Bhanndarkar & Paliw

Some of o the im mportant coontribution in bioddiversity butt due to habbitat destructtion, use
butterfliees studies are de Niceville(188
N 86), of pesticides,
p p
pesticides annd occasionaal fire in
Marshalll & de Niiceville (18882), Swinhhoe foreest and trading, manyy species come c in
(1893,), Bingham (1905), Evans E (19332), enddangered caategory. The presentt study
Heppner (1998), Ku unte (2000), Mathew and a document the diversity
d of butterflies
b foor better
Rahamatthulla (1993)), Lewis (19973), Sharmaa et mannagement planning and conservation
c n of area
al. (20066), Kehimkarr (2008), Shaarma and Jooshi in New
N Nagziraa wildlife sannctuary in NNTR.
N
(2009), Tiple
T and Kh
hurad (2009)), Tiple (20111),
Kasambee (2012) etc. India has a rich butterrfly

S. Noo. Commoon Name Scientific nam

me
Familyy Hesperiida ae
Subfammily: Hespeeriinae
1 Indian Palm
P Bob S
Suastus grem
mius F.
Familyy Papilionid
dae
Subfammily: Papilioninae
2 Commo on Mormon Papillio Polyytes L.
P
3 Lime Butterfly P
Papilio demooleus L.
4 Commo on Rose A
Atrophaneura a aristolochiae F.
5 Malabaar Rose A
Atrophaneura a pandiyanaa M.
Familyy Pieridae
Subfammily: Coliaddinae
6 Commo on Grass Yelllow Eurema hecaabe L.
E
7 Commo on Emigrant C
Catopsilia poomona F.
8 Mottledd Emigrant C
Catopsilia pyyranthe L.
Familyy Lycaenida ae
Subfammily: Riodinninae
9 Plum Juudy A
Abisara echeerius St.
Subfammily: Polyommmatinae
10 Indian Cupid
C Everes lacturrnus Go.
E
11 Commo on Pierrot C
Castalius rossimon F.
Familyy Nymphalidae
Subfammily: Danaiinae
12 Plain Tiiger Dnaus chrysiippus L.
D
13 Commo on Crow E
Euploea coree Cr.
Subfammily: Chara axinae
14 Commo on Nawab P
Polyura athaamas Dr.
Subfammily: Satyriinae
15 Commo on Evening Brown
B Melanitis ledda L.
M
16 Dark Evvening Browwn M
Melanitis pheedima Cr.
104 
 wal /Vol. VI [11] 2015/103 – 108 
Bhanndarkar & Paliw

Subfam
mily: Helicooniinae
17 Tawny Coster A
Acraea violae F.
Subfam
mily: Limen nitinae
18 Staff seergeant Athyma selennophora K.
A
19 Commo on Sailer N
Neptis hylas L.
L
20 Commo on Baron E
Euthalia aconthea Cr.
21 Baronett E
Euthalia naiss Fo.
Subfam
mily: Nymp phalinae
22 Grey Paansy JJunonia atlitees L.
23 Danaid Eggfly H
Hypolimnas m
misippus L.
23 Chocolaate Pansy J
Junonia iphitta Cr.
25 Lemon Pansy J
Junonia lemoonias L.

Materialls and Meth hod Thee Book of Indian

I Butteerflies by Kehimkar
K
The obseervation wass based on thhe field survey. andd Butterflies in Maharashhtra by Kasam
mbe.
Butterflyy species weere capturedd with the help Study area
of net, identified
i and
a releasedd immediateely. Thee Study weree carried out near Umarzzari Gate
Many of o the speccies were photographhed. (N- 210 11’ 29..5” E- 790 56’ 6.9”), commmonly
Identificaation of thee butterflies was primarrily knoown as New Nagzira annd it was addded into
made dirrectly in thee field. Idenntification and
a Naggzira wildliffe sanctuaryy and Now it is an
classificaation of the butterflies were followwed inteegral part of Navegaon-Nagziraa Tiger
Resserve (NNTR R).

105 
 wal /Vol. VI [11] 2015/103 – 108 
Bhanndarkar & Paliw

Discussioon bioddiversity (Shharma and Joshi, 20099). From

In the present
p repo
ort a total of 25 speccies the conservation point of view,
v the stuudy area
belonging to 5 famiilies of ordeer Lepidoptera is undisturbed
u a rich in flora
and fl and fauuna. This
were repported. In th he present study
s butterrfly documentation on species diversity
d of Butterfly
B
species diversity
d weere reported in the fam mily willl be helpfuul for betterr conservation and
Hesperiiddae, Paapilionidae, Pieriddae, mannagement planning
p off biodiverssity. 53
Lycaeniddae, Nymph halidae in which fam mily speccies of buutterflies weere recordeed from
Nymphallidae were dominant
d w
with 14 speccies Pohhara Malkheed Reservee Forest, Amravati
A
under 6 subfamiliees. The association in Disttrict by Kassambe & Wadatkar
W (20004); 68
butterfliees and plantss is highly specific;
s unlike speccies of buutterflies off 50 generra were
bees, buttterflies feed
d entirely onn nectar, which recoorded from Tadoba Anddhari Tiger Reserve
they obtaain through their long proboscis
p froom (Sharma & Raadhakrishnann 2006); 43 species
flower. Thus
T pollinaation, a cruccial link in the
t m the Tigerr Reserve in
from i Tadoba National
N
survival of ecosystem m, is one suuch factor thhat Parkk, Maharasshtra (Rai et al. 20006); 45
needs too be well understoodd to devellop buttterflies froom Penchh Tiger Reserve
appropriaate strategiees for conseervation of the t (Maaharashtra) by Singh (2004); 65 species

106 
 wal /Vol. VI [11] 2015/103 – 108 
Bhanndarkar & Paliw

Pench Tiiger Reservee, Maharashhtra (Sharmaa & Bombayy Natural History Society,
Radhakriishnan 2004)); 45 speciess from Melghhat Mumbaii, India. 454ppp.
Tiger Reserve
R (Sh
harma & Radhakrishn
R nan Hepppner, J.B. (1998): Classificattion of
2005); 53 5 species belonging to 36 genera Lepidopptera Part 1. Introoduction.
representting seven families from Lonnar Holarctiic Lepid. (Gaainsville), 5:: 1-148.
Wildlife Sanctuary, Buldhana
B District (Sharmma Kassambe, R. & J. S. Wadatkar (2004):
2008); 51 5 butterfly y species were
w recordded Butterfliies of Poharra Malkhed Reserve
belonging to seven n families from Melghhat Forest, Amraavati District
Tiger Reeserve, Mahaarashtra (Chhandrakar et al. (Maharaashtra). Bugss ‘R’ All 7(2)): 5-6.
2007) annd many morre report from the forestt of Kunnte, K. (20000): Butterf rflies of Penninsular
Maharashhtra revealls wide biiodiversity of India. Indian
I Acaddemy of Sciences,
S
butterfliees. The sheerr numbers off insects meaans Universities Press (India) Limited.L
that theirr impact upo on the envirronment hennce 254pp.
our lives are highly significant. Insects are the
t Lewwis, H.L. (1973): Butterrflies of thee World.
major coomponent off macroscoppic biodiverssity Follett Publishing
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Company, C
Chicago.
and for this reason n alone we should try to 312pp.
understannd them bettter. Matthew, G. annd Rahamathhulla, V.K. (1993):
Acknowlledgement Studies on the butterflies of thhe Silent
The authhors are thaankful to thhe members of Valley National Park, Keralaa, India,
Aranyayaatri Wildlife
fe Foundatioon (AWF) for Entomonn. 18(3&4): 185-192.
valuable support duriing study. Shaarma, R.M. & C. Raddhakrishnan (2005):
Referencces Insecta: Lepidoptera (Rhopaloccera and
Bingham
m, C.L. (190 05): The fauuna of Brittish Grypoceera). Fauna of Pench National
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Inndia includ
ding Ceylonn and Burm ma, Park. Zoological
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Butterfly-Vol--I. Taylor and Franncis Conservvation Area Series
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Ltd., London. 511pp. Shaarma, R.M. & C. Raddhakrishnan (2006):
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