Samal SK et al.

(2021)
Notulae Scientia Biologicae
Volume 13, Issue 4, Article number 11074
AcademicPres DOI:10.15835/nsb13411074 Notulae Scientia Biologicae
Research Article

Diversity of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera)

in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

Sabindra K. SAMAL*, Aryjit SATAPATHY, Nivedita PATTANAIK

B.J.B. Autonomous College, Department of Zoology, B.J.B. Nagar, Bhubaneswar - 751014, Odisha, India;
[email protected] (*corresponding author); [email protected]; [email protected]
All authors contributed equally to the work

Abstract

The loss and fragmentation of habitat caused by rapid urbanization can have devastating effects, both at
regional and global level. In this study, butterfly species diversity has been assessed in Bhubaneswar, India, as a
model geographical region for understanding the biology of the local population and its dynamics. In total 107
butterfly species have been documented, with the highest number of species being recorded from the family
Nymphalidae (31.77%), followed by Lycaenidae (25.23%), Hesperiidae (23.36%), Pieridae (11.21%) and
Papilionidae (8.41%). Out of these, 17 species are new reports for the city and nine species are legally protected
in India under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Sørensen’s diversity index and one-way ANOVA have been
used to establish the relation between species diversity and habitat. The present investigation provides baseline
data for future research and conservation of species in places like the model city, which face rapid urbanization.

Keywords: Bhubaneswar; butterfly diversity; conservation; Lepidoptera; new reports; scheduled species

Introduction

Order Lepidoptera comprises butterflies and moths which belong to the class Insecta (Kunte, 2000;
Kawahara and Breinholt, 2014). Butterflies occupy a vital position in the ecosystem, acting as pollinators,
pollution indicators, good source of food, and have aesthetic importance (Klein et al., 2007; Syaripuddin et al.,
2015). Their studies have made significant contributions towards the understanding of biogeography,
behaviour, coevolution, conservation, development, ecological genetics, global warming, mimicry, population
ecology, sexual selection, speciation, symbiotic associations, and systematics (Aduse-Poku et al., 2015; Kozak
et al., 2015; Kronforst and Papa, 2015; Manesi et al., 2015; Wang Wei et al., 2016; van Bergen et al., 2017).
Mature and immature individuals that have narrow niches often show specificity towards their host plants
(Tiple et al., 2011; Salz and Fartmann, 2017; Nallu et al., 2018; Verspagen et al., 2020).
Therefore, butterflies are regarded as good indicators of the quality of microhabitat and the extent of
associated anthropogenic disturbances (Ruszczyk and Silva, 1997; Kehimkar, 2016). Approximately, 18,768
species of butterflies have been recorded worldwide (Van Nieukerken et al., 2011) and recent findings suggest
that India hosts 1318 species in its subcontinent, out of which 89 species belong to Papilionidae, 277 species
belong to Hesperiidae, 92 species belong to Pieridae, 19 species belong to Riodinidae, 380 species belong to
Lycaenidae, and 461 species belong to Nymphalidae (Cotton et al., 2015; Kehimkar, 2016). Butterfly works in

Received: 06 Sep 2021. Received in revised form: 21 Nov 2021. Accepted: 25 Nov 2021. Published online: 02 Dec 2021.
From Volume 13, Issue 1, 2021, Notulae Scientia Biologicae journal uses article numbers in place of the traditional method of
continuous pagination through the volume. The journal will continue to appear quarterly, as before, with four annual numbers.
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Indian subcontinent are pioneered by Horsfield and Moore (1857). Marshall and Nicéville (1882), Colonel
Bingham (1905, 1907) and Talbot (1939, 1947) studied butterflies in India and documented them in ‘The
Fauna of British India’.
The state Odisha is situated at latitudes 17°49'-22°33' N and longitudes 81°27'-87°57' E in the eastern
peninsula and experiences a tropical savanna climate with an average annual rainfall of 1450 mm to 1600 mm
and an average annual temperature of 24.4 °C to 32.7 °C (India Meteorological Department, 2018:
https://metnet.imd.gov.in/imdnews/ar2018.pdf; Forest & Environmental Department, 2020:
http://www.orienvis.nic.in/). Presence of distinct phytogeographical regions such as the Eastern Ghats, the
Deccan Plateau and the coastal plains with tropical forest cover and deciduous forests are appropriate habitats
for faunal diversity (Reddy et al., 2014). The faunistic works on butterflies of the state were pioneered by Taylor
and Nicéville, where they prepared a list of butterfly species from Puri and Khurda district in 1888, followed
by Crawford in 1921 from Sambalpur district. Annandale and Dover also recorded the butterfly species of
Barkuda Island of Ganjam district in 1921 (Mandal and Nandi, 1983).
Though literature related to the butterfly diversity and abundance is available for the state (Mishra et
al., 2010; Mohapatra et al., 2013; Priyamvada and Mohapatra, 2016; Boruah et al., 2018; Payra et al., 2019;
Singh et al., 2020), the species diversity and conservation in relation to their habitats in the rapidly urbanizing
city of Bhubaneswar is yet to be explored. As part of long-term conservation strategies, local population
dynamics as well as species diversity become extremely important since habitat fragmentation and loss of
microhabitat pose threats to population persistence (Thomas et al., 1992; Roy et al., 2010; Fernandez-Chacon
et al., 2014; MacDonald et al., 2018). In the past decade, topology and climate of the city have changed
significantly due to increased urbanization, decreased vegetation, and a rise in temperature owing to the
interplay of biotic and abiotic factors (Swain et al., 2016; Gogoi et al., 2019). The study aims to document the
butterfly species diversity in relation to their habitats such as open scrub, garden habitat, urban habitat, urban
park, urban forest, fragmented forest, and cropland in the city and its outskirts. The present study documented
a list of 107 butterfly species out of which 17 species are new reports for this region and nine species are enlisted
under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WPA, 1972).

Materials and Methods

Study site
The study was conducted in Bhubaneswar and its outskirts in Khordha district of Odisha, India,
covering approximately 440 km2. The study range was divided into 11 different study sites and maps indicating
the same were created using ArcGIS software (version 10.3) and Google Earth (Figure 1). The detailed
information about Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, elevation, and habitats for each study sites
are provided (Table 1). The study range is predominated by seven types of habitats (Figure 2).

Survey and monitoring methods

A survey and documentation of the study sites were conducted from July 2018 to August 2020. For data
collection, opportunistic survey and random sightings were used along with modified Pollard walk method
(Pollard and Yates, 1992; Royer et al., 1998; Wood and Gillman, 1998; Pellet et al., 2012). All observations
were carried out between 6:30 hrs to 11:30 hrs and 14:30 hrs to 17:30 hrs in good weathered conditions.
During the study tenure, each study site was visited at least two times in each quarter of a year. Information
about the coordinates and elevation of study sites were obtained by using Google’s location services. Butterflies
were photographed using Nikon gears (D3500 and D5300 DSLR cameras mounted with 18-55 mm and 70-
300 mm Nikkor lenses), identified using field guides, books and the butterflies of India website (Kunte, 2000;
Kehimkar, 2016; Smetacek, 2018; Butterflies of India, 2021: https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/). The WPA,
1972 status of the butterflies were obtained from the database available at ENVIS Center on Wildlife &

2
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Protected Areas (Scheduled Insect species, 2014: http://wiienvis.nic.in/). An entomological net was
occasionally used and the butterflies were released unharmed to their natural habitat as soon as they were
photographed. In this study none of the butterfly species were collected, euthanized or killed by any means.
The host plants were identified and recorded as per the literature available (Karmakar et al., 2018; Nitin et al.,
2018).

Figure 1. Maps indicating study sites: (1) Map of India indicating the state Odisha; (2) Map of the state
Odisha indicating Khordha district; (3) Khordha district indicating the study sites of Bhubaneswar and its
outskirts; (4) Google map indicating the topology of the study range with marked study sites
S1-S11 are the study sites

3
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Table 1. Physiographic information about the study sites of Bhubaneswar and its outskirts
Sl. Study
Name of the study site GPS coordinates Elevation Habitats
no. site
20.2506° N, Open scrub, Garden habitat,
1 S1 B. J. B. College Campus 35m/115ft
85.8411° E Urban habitat, Urban park
20.2388° N, Urban habitat having roadside
2 S2 Old Town 36m/118ft
85.8346° E plantation
20.1972 ° N, Open scrub, Urban forest with
3 S3 Dhauli Village 40m/131ft
85.8419° E water bodies
20.2910° N, Urban habitat having roadside
4 S4 Saheed Nagar 43m/141ft
85.8456° E plantation
20.3040° N, Open scrub, Urban habitat,
5 S5 Vani Vihar 41m/135ft
85.8397° E Urban forest
20.2997° N, Open scrub, Garden habitat,
6 S6 Nayapalli 58m/190ft
85.8060° E Urban forest
Open scrub, Fragmented forest
Ghangapatana and 20.3088° N,
7 S7 46m/151ft having bamboo patches,
Deulipatana Villages 85.7308° E
Cropland
20.3489° N, Fragmented forest having
8 S8 Chandaka Village 107m/351ft
85.7346° E bamboo patches, Cropland
20.3958° N, Open scrub, Fragmented forest,
9 S9 Raghunathpur 23m/75ft
85.8260° E Cropland
20.2698 ° N, Urban habitat having roadside
10 S10 Surya Nagar 40m/131ft
85.8131° E plantation
20.1611° N, Open scrub, Urban forest,
11 S11 Barunei 130m/427ft
85.6461° E Fragmented forest

Figure 2. Types of habitats in the study range: (1) Open scrub; (2) Garden habitat; (3) Urban habitat; (4)
Urban park; (5) Urban forest; (6) Fragmented forest; (7) Cropland

Statistical analysis
Sørensen’s method was applied to find the similarity between number of species in different study sites
and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to analyse the dependence of relative distribution of
species on habitat.

Sørensen’s similarity index (β)

The Sørensen index is an indicator of similarity between two communities based on the number of
common species shared by them. β can be defined as:
β = 2c / (s1 + s2)

4
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

where, s1 = total number of species recorded in the first community, s2 = number of species recorded in
the second community, and c = number of species common to both communities.
The value of β lies between 0 and 1, wherein as the value approaches 0, the species overlap between the
communities decrease and as the value moves towards 1, both the communities start having a greater number
of shared species (Christopher, 2020). All the calculations were performed using Microsoft Excel (version
2019).

One-way ANOVA
It is used to determine the differences in the means of three or more independent groups. One-way
ANOVA has been used in this study to establish a substantial relation between the variation in habitat and the
species diversity by considering a null hypothesis (H0) that the mean of family wise species diversity of each site
is the same. The alternative hypothesis (H1) is that at least one of the means is different. A significance level (α)
of 0.05 implies a 5% risk of concluding that a difference exists when there is no actual difference. The variance
ratio, F statistic (F stat), probability value (P-value), and critical value of F distribution (F crit) in the ANOVA
table serve as the base to conclude the analysis. If P < 0.05 and the value of F stat is more than F crit, then the
null hypothesis is rejected whereas if P > 0.05 and F stat is less than F crit, then the null hypothesis is accepted
(Kim, 2017). In this study, one-way ANOVA was calculated using GraphPad Prism Software (version 5.0) and
Microsoft Excel (version 2019).

Results

A total of 107 species of butterflies, belonging to 76 genera and five families (Papilionidae, Hesperiidae,
Pieridae, Lycaenidae, and Nymphalidae) were recorded in this study whereas no butterflies from the families
Hedylidae and Riodinidae were encountered during this study (Table 2). Information about host plants of the
recorded butterfly species were enlisted (Table 3). Butterfly hierarchy was represented showing the number of
species observed from each family (Figure 3). Photographs of each species categorised into their respective
families were represented (Figure 4-8). Out of the total number of species recorded, nine species are legally
protected in India under WPA, 1972, and 17 species are new reports for the city (Table 3). The highest number
of species have been observed in Nymphalidae (34 species, 31.77%), followed by Lycaenidae (27 species,
25.23%), Hesperiidae (25 species, 23.36%), Pieridae (12 species, 11.21%), and Papilionidae (nine species,
8.41%) as illustrated (Figure 9A). The species to genus ratio (S/G) determines distribution of species among
genera, and is calculated to be 3.000, 1.316, 1.500, 1.125, and 1.545 for Papilionidae, Hesperiidae, Pieridae,
Lycaenidae, and Nymphalidae respectively (Figure 9B, Table 4). The family wise species distribution in
different study sites showed that the highest number is observed in S8 (88 species) followed by S7 (77 species),
S9 (74 species), S5 (63 species), S6 (48 species), S11 (43 species), S10 (42 species), S1 (36 species), S3 (34
species), S2 (31 species), and the lowest number is observed in S4 (27 species) as illustrated (Figure 9C). The
distribution range of species number is found to be more scattered for Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, and
Nymphalidae as compared to Papilionidae and Pieridae (Figure 9D). According to the Sørensen’s similarity
index, a maximum value of 0.896 is observed between study sites S1 and S2 whereas a minimum value of 0.470
is observed between study sites S4 and S8 (Table 5). One-way ANOVA data shows that F stat value is 13.92,
value of F crit is 2.55, and P < 0.05 for butterfly species in different families within the study range. Between
the butterfly species among the study sites the result shows that F stat value is 2.34, value of F crit is 2.05, and
P < 0.05. In both the cases P < 0.05 and the value of F stat is greater than the F crit value (Table 6).

5
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Table 2. List of butterflies with detailed information recorded during this study

Sl. Family/Sub Adult wing span WPA,

Common name Scientific name Authority
no. Family (in mm) 1972

Family Papilionidae: The swallow tails

1 Blue mormon Papilio polymnestor Cramer, 1775 120 - 150
Common banded
2 Papilio crino Fabricius, 1793 80 - 100
peacock
(C. & R. Felder,
3 Common jay Graphium doson 70 - 80
1864)
4 Common mime Papilio clytia Linnaeus, 1758 90 - 100 Sch I
5 Sub Family: Common mormon Papilio polytes Linnaeus, 1758 90 - 100
Papilioninae
Pachliopta
6 Common rose (Fabricius, 1775) 80 - 110
aristolochiae
7 Crimson rose Pachliopta hector (Linnaeus, 1758) 90 - 120 Sch I
8 Lime Papilio demoleus Linnaeus, 1758 80 - 100
Graphium
9 Tailed jay (Linnaeus, 1758) 85 - 100
agamemnon
Family Hedylidae: The Moth-
Moth-butterflies. No butterflies were recorded during this study
Family Hesperiidae: The skippers
Common banded
10 Sub Family: Hasora chromus (Cramer, [1780]) 45 - 50
awl
Coeliadinae
11 Plain banded awl^ Hasora vitta (Butler, 1870) 45 - 55 Sch IV
12 Bush hopper Ampittia dioscorides (Fabricius, 1793) 22 - 28
13 Chestnut bob Iambrix salsala (Moore, [1866]) 26 - 30
14 Common grass dart Taractrocera maevius (Fabricius, 1793) 22 - 28
15 Common redeye Matapa aria (Moore, [1866]) 40 - 55
16 Continental swift^ Parnara ganga (Evans, 1937) 30 - 32
17 Dark palm dart Telicota aneilla (Moore, 1878) 33 - 36
18 Grass demon Udaspes folus (Cramer, [1775]) 40 - 48
19 Indian palm bob Suastus gremius (Fabricius, 1798) 32 - 45
Large branded
20 Pelopidas subochracea (Moore, 1878) 38 - 42
Sub Family: swift^
21 Hesperiinae Lesser rice swift^ Borbo bevani (Moore, 1878) 32 - 36
Little branded
22 Pelopidas agna (Moore, [1866]) 30 - 38
swift^
23 Pale palm dart^ Telicota colon (Fabricius, 1775) 30 - 36
24 Plain palm dart^ Cephrenes acalle (Höpffer, 1874) 45
Elwes & Edwards,
25 Purple redeye^ Matapa purpurascens 48 - 54
1897
26 Rice swift Borbo cinnara (Wallace, 1866) 30 - 36
27 Small branded swift Pelopidas mathias (Fabricius, 1798) 32 - 38
28 Tree flitter Hyarotis adrastus (Stoll, [1780]) 38 - 48 Sch IV
29 Wax dart Cupitha purreea (Moore, 1877) 28 - 33
30 Common small flat Sarangesa dasahara (Moore, [1866]) 26 - 35
Sub Family:
31 Golden angle Caprona ransonnetti (R. Felder, 1868) 35 - 45
Pyrginae
32 Indian skipper Spialia galba (Fabricius, 1793) 22 – 27

6
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

33 Tricolour pied flat^ Coladenia indrani (Moore, [1866]) 40 – 46

34 Water snow flat^ Tagiades litigiosa Möschler, 1878 37 - 44
Family Pieridae: The whites and yellows
Changeable grass (Staudinger,
35 Eurema simulatrix 40 - 50
yellow^ 1891)
36 Common emigrant Catopsilia pomona (Fabricius, 1775) 55 - 80
Common grass
37 Eurema hecabe (Linnaeus, 1758) 40 - 50
Sub Family: yellow
38 Coliadinae Mottled emigrant Catopsilia pyranthe (Linnaeus, 1758) 50 - 70
One-spot grass
39 Eurema andersonii (Moore, 1886) 38 - 45
yellow
Three-spot grass
40 Eurema blanda (Boisduval, 1836) 40 - 45
yellow
Black veined
41 Appias olferna Swinhoe, 1890 55 - 65
albatross
42 Common gull Cepora nerissa (Fabricius, 1775) 40 - 65
43 Sub Family: Common jezebel Delias eucharis (Drury, 1773) 66 - 83
Pierinae
44 Common wanderer Pareronia hippia (Fabricius, 1787) 65 - 80
45 Psyche Leptosia nina (Fabricius, 1793) 35 - 50
46 Yellow orange-tip Ixias pyrene (Linnaeus, 1764) 50 - 70
Family Riodinidae: The Metal-
Metal-markers. No butterflies were recorded during this study
Family Lycaenidae: The gossamer-
ossamer-winged butterflies
Sub Family:
47 Indian sunbeam Curetis thetis (Drury, [1773]) 40 - 48
Curetinae
Black-spotted grass
48 Freyeria putli (Kollar, [1844]) 12 - 18
jewel^
49 Common cerulean Jamides celeno (Cramer, [1775]) 27 - 40
Common hedge (Horsfield,
50 Acytolepis puspa 28 - 35
blue [1828])
51 Common lineblue Prosotas nora (Felder, 1860) 18 - 25
52 Common pierrot Castalius rosimon (Fabricius, 1775) 24 - 34
53 Dark cerulean Jamides bochus (Stoll, [1782]) 25 - 34
54 Dark grass blue Zizeeria karsandra (Moore, 1865) 18 - 24
55 Forget-me-not Catochrysops strabo (Fabricius, 1793) 25 - 35
56 Sub Family: Gram blue Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius, 1798) 25 - 33 Sch II
57 Polyommatinae Lesser grass blue Zizina otis (Fabricius, 1787) 19 - 26
58 Lime blue Chilades lajus (Stoll, [1780]) 26 - 30
59 Little tiger pierrot^ Tarucus balkanica (Freyer, 1844) 21 - 24
60 Pale grass blue Pseudozizeeria maha (Kollar, [1844]) 26 - 30
61 Pea blue Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus, 1767) 24 - 36 Sch II
62 Plains cupid Luthrodes pandava (Horsfield, 1829) 25 - 33
63 Pointed ciliate blue Anthene lycaenina (Felder, 1868) 24 - 29 Sch II
Neopithecops
64 Quaker (Butler, [1870]) 16 - 30
zalmora
Catochrysops
65 Silver forget-me-not (Felder, 1860) 25 - 35
panormus

7
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

66 Striped pierrot Tarucus nara (Kollar, 1848) 16 - 28

67 Tiny grass blue Zizula hylax (Fabricius, 1775) 16 - 24
68 Common silverline Spindasis vulcanus (Fabricius, 1775) 26 - 34
69 Falcate oakblue^ Mahathala ameria (Hewitson, 1862) 38 - 42 Sch II
70 Sub Family: Monkey puzzle Rathinda amor (Fabricius, 1775) 26 - 28
71 Theclinae Purple leaf blue Amblypodia anita Hewitson, 1862 45 - 52
72 Slate flash Rapala manea (Hewitson, 1863) 30 - 33
73 Yamfly Loxura atymnus (Stoll, 1780) 36 - 40
Family Nymphalidae: The brush-
rush-footed butterflies
74 Sub Family: Angled castor Ariadne ariadne (Moore, 1884) 45 - 60
75 Biblidinae Common castor Ariadne merione (Cramer, [1777]) 45 - 60
Sub Family:
76 Common nawab Polyura athamas (Drury, 1773) 60 - 75
Charaxinae
77 Common crow Euploea core (Cramer, [1780]) 85 - 95
78 Blue tiger Tirumala limniace (Cramer, [1775]) 90 - 100
Sub Family:
79 Glassy tiger Parantica aglea (Stoll, [1782]) 70 - 85
Danainae
80 Plain tiger Danaus chrysippus (Linnaeus, 1758) 70 - 80
81 Striped tiger Danaus genutia (Cramer, [1779]) 72 - 100
82 Sub Family: Common leopard Phalanta phalantha Drury, 1773 50 - 60
83 Heliconiinae Tawny coster Acraea terpsicore (Linnaeus, 1758) 50 - 65
84 Baronet Symphaedra nais (Forster, 1771) 60 - 70
Chestnut-streaked
85 Neptis jumbah Moore, [1858] 60 - 70
sailer
86 Sub Family: Commander Moduza procris (Cramer, [1777]) 60 - 75
Limenitidinae
87 Common baron Euthalia aconthea (Cramer, [1777]) 55 - 80
88 Common lascar Pantoporia hordonia (Stoll, [1790]) 45 - 50
89 Common sailer Neptis hylas (Linnaeus, 1758) 50 - 60
Sub Family:
90 Common duffer^ Discophora sondaica Boisduval, 1836 80 - 90
Morphinae
91 Blue pansy Junonia orithya (Linnaeus, 1758) 45 - 60
92 Chocolate pansy Junonia iphita (Cramer, [1779]) 55 - 80
93 Danaid eggfly Hypolimnas misippus (Linnaeus, 1764) 70 - 85 Sch I
94 Sub Family: Great eggfly Hypolimnas bolina (Linnaeus, 1758) 70 - 110
95 Nymphalinae Grey pansy Junonia atlites (Linnaeus, 1763) 55 - 60
96 Lemon pansy Junonia lemonias (Linnaeus, 1758) 40 - 60
97 Painted lady^ d
Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758) 55 - 70
98 Peacock pansy Junonia almana (Linnaeus, 1758) 60 - 65
99 Bamboo tree brown Lethe europa (Fabricius, 1787) 65 - 75
Common
100 Mycalesis perseus (Fabricius, 1775) 38 - 55
bushbrown
Sub Family: Common evening
101 Melanitis leda (Linnaeus, 1758) 60 - 80
Satyrinae brown
102 Common four-ring Ypthima huebneri Kirby, 1871 30 - 40

8
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Elymnias
103 Common palmfly (Linnaeus, 1763) 60 - 80
hypermnestra
Common three-
104 Ypthima asterope (Klug, 1832) 30 - 37
ring^
Dark- branded
105 Mycalesis mineus (Linnaeus, 1858) 40 - 50
bushbrown
Dark evening
106 Melanitis phedima (Cramer, [1780]) 60 - 70
brown
107 White four-ring Ypthima ceylonica Hewitson, [1865] 30 - 35
Species marked with (^) reported for the first time from Bhubaneswar. Species marked with (d) is long range migratory
species. mm, millimeter; Sch, Scheduled species; WPA, 1972, The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Table 3. Host plant list of the recorded butterfly species

Sl. Host plant
Butterfly species
no. Family Common name Scientific name
i) Rubiaceae i) Jungle geranium i) Ixora coccinea
1 Papilio polymnestor
ii) Rutaceae ii) Pomelo ii) Citrus maxima
a) Lemon a) Citrus limon
2 Papilio crino Rutaceae
b) East Indian satinwood b) Chloroxylon swietenia
i) a) Pond apple
i) a) Annona glabra
b) Hoom
b) Miliusa tomentosa
i) Annonaceae c) False Ashoka/Buddha tree
3 Graphium doson c) Polyalthia longifolia
ii) Magnoliaceae ii) a) Southern Magnolia/Him
ii) a) Magnolia grandiflora
champa
b) Michelia champaca
b) Champak/Champa
a) Camphor tree/Camphorwood a) Cinnamomum camphora
4 Papilio clytia Lauraceae
b) Indian bay leaf b) Cinnamomum tamala
a) Bael/Wood apple a) Aegle marmelos
b) Curry leaf tree b) Murraya koenigii
5 Papilio polytes Rutaceae
c) Citron/Galgal c) Citrus medica
d) Persian lime d) Citrus latifolia
a) Indian birthwort a) Aristolochia indica
6 Pachliopta aristolochiae Aristolochiaceae b) Calico flower/Pipe vine b) Aristolochia littoralis
c) Chakrani c) Thottea siliquosa
a) Indian birthwort a) Aristolochia indica
7 Pachliopta hector Aristolochiaceae
b) Calico flower/Pipe vine b) Aristolochia littoralis
i) Babchi/Kushtanashini i) Psoralea corylifolia
ii) Jujube/Indian plum ii) Ziziphus mauritiana
i) Fabaceae iii) a) Bael/Wood apple iii) a) Aegle marmelos
8 Papilio demoleus ii) Rhamnaceae b) East Indian Satinwood b) Chloroxylon swietania
iii) Rutaceae c) Citron/Galgal c) Citrus medica
d) Elephant-apple/Kaith d) Limonia acidissima
e) Curry leaf tree e) Muraya koenigii

i) a) Pond apple i) a) Annona glabera

b) Hoom b) Miliusa tomentosa
i) Annonaceae
9 Graphium agamemnon c) False Ashoka/Buddha tree c) Polyalthia longifolia
ii) Magnoliaceae
d) Corky debbar tree d) Polyalthia suberosa
ii) Champak/Champa ii) Michelia champaca
10 Hasora chromus Fabaceae Karanja/Indian beech Millettia pinnata
a) Arge-leaf pongam a) Millettia extensa
11 Hasora vitta Fabaceae
b) Ardhga/Swardhang b) Endosamara racemose
12 Ampittia dioscorides Poaceae Asian rice Oryza sativa
a) Indian thorny bamboo a) Bambusa arundinacea
13 Iambrix salsala Poaceae
b) Para grass/Buffalo grass b) Brachiaria mutica
14 Taractrocera maevius Poaceae Asian rice Oryza sativa

9
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

15 Matapa aria Poaceae Indian thorny bamboo Bambusa arundinaceae

16 Parnara ganga Poaceae Asian rice Oryza sativa
a) Sugarcanes a) Saccharum sp.
17 Telicota aneilla Poaceae
b) Common bamboo b) Bambusa vulgaris
i) Costaceae i) Crepe ginger i) Costus speciosus
18 Udaspes folus
ii) Zingiberaceae ii) Black Turmeric ii) Curcuma caesia
a) Arecastrum
a) Queen palm
romanziffianum
b) Coconut tree
19 Suastus gremius Arecaceae b) Cocos nucifera
c) Golden cane palm
c) Dypsis lutescens
d) Silver date palm/Indian date
d) Phoenix sylvestris
20 Pelopidas subochracea Poaceae Carpet grass Axonopus compressus
a) Sugarcanes a) Saccharum sp.
21 Borbo bevani Poaceae
b) Cogon grass b) Imperata cylindrica
a) Carpet grass a) Axonopus compressus
22 Pelopidas agna Poaceae
b) Fountain grass b) Pennisetum sp.
23 Telicota colon Poaceae Sugarcane Saccharum officinarum
a) Coconut tree a) Cocos nucifera
24 Cephrenes acalle Arecaceae
b) Palmyra palm b) Borassus flabellifer
25 Matapa purpurascens Asteraceae Siam weed/Tibra gandha Chromolaena odorata
a) Para grass/Buffalo grass a) Brachiaria mutica
b) Asian rice b) Oryza sativa
26 Borbo cinnara Poaceae
c) Johnson grass c) Sorghum halepense
d) Jowar d) Sorghum nitidum
a) Sugarcane a) Saccharum officinarum
27 Pelopidas mathias Poaceae
b) Asian rice b) Oryza sativa
28 Hyarotis adrastus Arecaceae Rattan palms Calamus sp.
a) Rangoon creeper a) Combretum indicum
29 Cupitha purreea Combretaceae
b) Bahada b) Terminalia bellirica
a) Violet asystasia a) Asystasia dalzelliana
30 Sarangesa dasahara Acanthaceae
b) Spiny lepidagathis b) Lepidagathis cuspidata
31 Caprona ransonnetti Malvaceae Indian screw tree Helicteres isora
i) a) Common wireweed i) a) Sida acuta
i) Malvaceae
32 Spialia galba b) Chocolateweed b) Melochia corchorifolia
ii) Sterculiaceae
ii) Sleepy morning ii) Waltheria indica
i)Fabaceae a) Bidi leaf tree i) Bauhinia racemosa
33 Coladenia indrani
ii) Malvaceae ii) Diamond burbark ii) Triumfetta rhomboidea
i) Dioscoreaceae i) Bana alu/Pita alu i) Dioscorea wallichii
34 Tagiades litigiosa
ii) Dipterocarpaceae ii) Taloora lac tree ii) Shorea roxburghii
35 Eurema simulatrix Fabaceae Golden shower/Indian laburnum Cassia fistula
i) Conkerberry/Bush plum i) Carissa spinarum
ii) a) Bidi leaf tree ii) a) Bauhinia racemosa
i) Apocynaceae
36 Catopsilia pomona b) Flame-of-the-forest/Palash b) Butea monosperma
ii) Fabaceae
c) Golden Shower/Indian laburnum c) Cassia fistula
d) Vegetable Hummingbird d) Sesbania grandiflora
a) Rain tree/Monkey pod
a) Albizia saman
b) Peacock flower/Red bird of
b) Caesalpinia pulcherrima
37 Eurema hecabe Fabaceae paradise
c) Calliandra haematocephala
c) Red powder puff
d) Cassia fistula
d) Golden shower/Indian laburnum
i) Apocynaceae i) Conkerberry/Bush plum i) Carissa spinarum
38 Catopsilia pyranthe
ii) Fabaceae ii) Golden shower/Indian laburnum ii) Cassia fistula
39 Eurema andersonii Rhamnaceae Toothed-leaf red creeper Ventilago denticulata
40 Eurema blanda Fabaceae Purple orchid tree Bauhinia purpurea
41 Appias olferna Capparaceae Fringed spider flower Cleome rutidosperma

10
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

a) Caper shrubs/Caperbushes a) Capparis sp.

42 Cepora nerissa Capparaceae
b) Ceylon caper b) Capparis zeylanica
i) Loranthaceae i) Honey suckle mistletoe i) Dendrophthoe falcata
43 Delias eucharis
ii) Meliaceae ii) Neem ii) Azadirachta indica
a) Caper shrubs/Caperbushes a) Capparis sp.
44 Pareronia hippia Capparaceae
b) Ceylon caper b) Capparis zeylanica
a) Fringed spiderflower/Purple
a) Cleome rutidosperma
cleome
45 Leptosia nina Capparaceae b) Cleome viscosa
b) Asian spiderflower/Tick weed
c) Capparis sp.
c) Caper shrubs/Caper bushes
a) Spreading caper a) Capparis divaricata
46 Ixias pyrene Capparaceae
b) Wild caper bush b) Capparis sepiaria
a) Jequirity bean/Rosary pea a) Abrus precatorius
47 Curetis thetis Fabaceae b) Flame-of-the-forest/Palash b) Butea monosperma
c) Karanja/Indian beech d) Milletia pinnata
i) Asteraceae i) Tridax daisy i) Tridax procumbens
48 Freyeria putli ii) Boraginaceae ii) Indian heliotrope ii) Heliotropium indicum
iii) Fabaceae iii) Narrow-leafed indigo iii) Indigofera linifolia
i) a) Ashoka tree i) a) Saraca asoca
i) Fabaceae
49 Jamides celeno b) Mung bean/Green gram b) Vigna radiata
ii) Zingiberaceae
ii) Green/True cardamom ii) Elettaria cardamomum
i) Fabaceae i) Mexican lilac i) Gliricidia sepium
50 Acytolepis puspa ii) Phyllanthaceae ii) Spinous kino tree ii) Bridelia retusa
iii) Sapindaceae iii) Kurpa iii) Lepisanthes tetraphylla
i) Euphorbiaceae i) Kamala/Kumkum tree i) Mallotus philippensis
51 Prosotas nora ii) Mimosaceae ii) Twisted acacia ii) Acacia torta
iii) Sapindaceae iii) Indian allophylus/Tit berry iii) Allophylus cobbe
a) Jujube/Red date a) Ziziphus zuzuba
52 Castalius rosimon Rhamnaceae
b) Jhar beri b) Ziziphus nummularia
a) Ashoka tree a) Saraca asoca
53 Jamides bochus Fabaceae
b) Burma ironwood b) Xylia xylocarpa
i) Amaranthaceae i) Spiny amaranthus i) Amaranthus spinosus
ii) Molluginaceae ii) Lotus sweetjuice ii) Glinus lotoides
54 Zizeeria karsandra
iii) Polygonaceae iii) Common knotweed iii) Polygonum plebeium
iv) Zygophyllaceae iv) Bindii iv) Tribulus terrestris
i) a) Desmodium
i) a) Asian tick trefoil
heterocarpum
i) Fabaceae b) Karanja/Indian beech
55 Catochrysops strabo b) Millettia pinnata
ii) Sapindaceae c) Common tephrosia
c) Tephrosia purpurea
ii) Indian Allophylus/Tit berry
ii) Allophylus cobbe
a) Flame-of-the-forest/Palash a) Butea monosperma
56 Euchrysops cnejus Fabaceae
b) Sword bean b) Canavalia gladiata
a) Asian tick trefoil a) Desmodium heterophyllum
57 Zizina otis Fabaceae b) Chinchani/Kansevari b) Sesbania bispinosa
c) Three-leaf indigo c) Indigofera trifoliata
a) Sweet lemon a) Citrus limetta
b) Lemon b) Citrus limon
58 Chilades lajus Rutaceae
c) Pomelo c) Citrus maxima
d) Kamini/Orange jasmine d) Murraya paniculata
a) Jujuba/Red date a) Ziziphus jujuba
59 Tarucus balkanica Rhamnaceae
b) Jhar beri b) Ziziphus nummularia
60 Pseudozizeeria maha Oxalidaceae Creeping woodsorrel Oxalis corniculata
a) Flame-of-the-forest/Palash a) Butea monosperma
61 Lampides boeticus Fabaceae
b) Garden pea b) Pisum sativum

11
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

i) a) Cycas circinalis
i) a) Queen sago
b) Cycas pectinata
b) Nepal cycas/Thaljimura
c) Cycas revoluta
i) Cycadaceae ii) a) Malu creeper/Adda leaf
62 Luthrodes pandava ii) a) Bauhinia vahlii
ii) Fabaceae b) Orchid tree
b) Bauhinia variegata
c) Sword bean
c) Canavalia gladiata
d) Ashoka tree
d) Saraca asoca
i) Chironji/Charoli i) Buchanania lanzan
i) Anacardiaceae
ii) Putranjiva ii) Drypetes roxburghii
63 Anthene lycaenina ii) Euphorbiaceae
iii) a) Rosewood/Indian palisandre iii) a) Dalbergia latifolia
iii) Fabaceae
b) Shikakai b) Acacia concinna
64 Neopithecops zalmora Rutaceae Orange berry/Gin berry Glycosmis pentaphylla
Catochrysops
65 Fabaceae Large leaf fleminga Flemingia macrophylla
panormus
a) Jujuba/Red date a) Ziziphus jujuba
66 Tarucus nara Rhamnaceae
b) Jhar beri b) Ziziphus nummularia
i) a) Temple plant/Marsh barbel i) a) Hygrophila auriculata
i) Acanthaceae
67 Zizula hylax b) Desert petunia b) Ruellia simplex
ii) Verbenaceae
ii) Raimuniya ii) Lantana camara
i) Apocynaceae i) Bengal currant/Karanda i) Carissa carandas
ii) Dioscoreaceae ii) Bana alu/Pita alu ii) Dioscorea wallichii
68 Spindasis vulcanus
iii) Fabaceae iii) Golden shower/Indian laburnum iii) Cassia fistula
iv) Rhamnaceae iv) Jujube/Red date iv) Ziziphus zuzuba
69 Mahathala ameria Euphorbiaceae Climbing liana Mallotus repandus
i) Anacardiaceae i) Mango i) Mangifera indica
ii) Lecythidaceae ii) Wild guava ii) Careya arborea
70 Rathinda amor
iii) Rubiaceae iii) Jungle geranium iii) Ixora coccinea
iv) Sapindaceae iv) Litchi iv) Litchi chinensis
71 Amblypodia anita Olacaceae South Asian olax Olax imbricata
i) Combretum indicum
i) Combretaceae i) Rangoon creeper
ii) Clerodendrum
72 Rapala manea ii) Lamiaceae ii) Bhat/Hill glory flower
infortunatum
iii) Verbenaceae iii) Raimuniya
iii) Lantana camara
i) Dioscoreaceae i) Five-leaf yam i) Dioscorea pentaphylla
73 Loxura atymnus
ii) Smilacaceae ii) Kumarika ii) Smilax zeylanica
a) Castor bean/Castor a) Ricinus communis
74 Ariadne ariadne Euphorbiaceae
b) Indian stinging nettle b) Tragia involucrata
a) Castor bean/Castor a) Ricinus communis
75 Ariadne merione Euphorbiaceae
b) Indian stinging nettle b) Tragia involucrata
a) Twisted acacia a) Acacia torta
76 Polyura athamas Fabaceae b) Royal poinciana/Gulmohar b) Delonix regia
c) Woman's tongue tree c) Albizia lebbeck
i) a) Desert rose i) a) Adenium obesum
b) Bengal currant/Karanda b) Carissa carandas
i) Apocynaceae c) Oleander c) Nerium oleander
77 Euploea core ii) Moraceae ii) a) Indian rock fig/Rock peepal ii) a) Ficus arnottiana
iii) Sapotaceae b) Indian banyan b) Ficus benghalensis
c) Indian fig tree/Gular c) Ficus racemosa
iii) Spanish cherry iii) Mimusops elengi
a) Apple of sodom/Arak a) Calotropis procera
78 Tirumala limniace Apocynaceae b) Tropical milkweed/Bloodflower b) Asclepias curassavica
c) Bread flower c) Vallaris solanacea
a) Crown flower a) Calotropis gigantea
79 Parantica aglea Apocynaceae
b) Bulbous ceropegia b) Ceropegia bulbosa

12
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

a) Calotropis gigantea
a) Crown flower
b) Asclepias curassavica
80 Danaus chrysippus Apocynaceae b) Tropical milkweed/Bloodflower
c) Gomphocarpus
c) Balloon plant
physocarpus
81 Danaus genutia Apocynaceae Tropical milkweed/Bloodflower Asclepias curassavica
a) Governor's plum/Batoko plum a) Flacourtia indica
82 Phalanta phalantha Salicaceae b) Indian coffee plum b) Flacourtia jangomas
c) Mountain sweet thorn c) Flacourtia montana
i) a) Stinking passionflower i) a) Passiflora foetida
i) Passifloraceae
83 Acraea terpsicore b) White buttercup b) Turnera subulata
ii) Violaceae
ii) Spade flower ii) Hybanthus enneaspermus
i) Ebenaceae i) Coromandel ebony/Tendu i) Diospyros melanoxylon
84 Symphaedra nais
ii) Malvaceae ii) Phalsa ii) Grewia asiatica
a) Golden shower/Indian laburnum a) Cassia fistula
85 Neptis jumbah Fabaceae
b) Indian rosewood b) Dalbergia latifolia
i) Indian cadaba i) Cadaba fruticosa
i) Capparaceae ii) a) Ashanti blood/Red flag bush ii) a) Mussaenda erythrophylla
86 Moduza procris
ii) Rubiaceae b) Dhobi tree/Mussaenda b) Mussaenda frondosa
c) Burflower-tree/Kadamb c) Neolamarckia cadamba
a) Cashew a) Anacardium occidentale
87 Euthalia aconthea Anacardiaceae
b) Mango b) Mangifera indica
88 Pantoporia hordonia Fabaceae Kali siris Albizia odoratissima
i) Fabaceae i) Butterfly pea i) Centrosema pubescens
89 Neptis hylas ii) Malvaceae ii) Cotton tree ii) Bombax ceiba
iii) Salicaceae iii) Indian willow iii) Salix tetrasperma
90 Discophora sondaica Poaceae Bamboo Bambusa sp.
i) a) Philippine violet i) a) Barleria cristata
i) Acanthaceae b) Water willow b) Justicia procumbens
91 Junonia orithya
ii) Moraceae c) Roundleaf kariyat c) Andrographis serphylifloia
ii) White mulberry ii) Morus alba
a) Philippine violet a) Barleria cristata
92 Junonia iphita Acanthaceae
b) Marsh barbel/Kokilaksha b) Hygrophila auriculata
i) Convolvulaceae i) Pink morning glory i) Ipomoea carnea
93 Hypolimnas misippus
ii) Malvaceae ii) China rose ii) Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
94 Hypolimnas bolina Urticaceae Hen's nettle Laportea interrupta
a) Philippine violet a) Barleria cristata
95 Junonia atlites Acanthaceae
b) Marsh barbel/Kokilaksha b) Hygrophila auriculata
a) Philippine violet a) Barleria cristata
96 Junonia lemonias Acanthaceae b) Water willow b) Justicia procumbens
c) Roundleaf kariyat c) Andrographis serphylifloia
i) Asteraceae i) Coatbuttons/Tridax daisy i) Tridax procumbens
97 Vanessa cardui ii) Fabaceae ii) Two-leaf zornia ii) Zornia diphylla
iii) Papaveraceae iii) Mexican prickly poppy iii) Argemome mexicana
a) Philippine violet a) Barleria cristata
98 Junonia almana Acanthaceae
b) Marsh barbel/Kokilaksha b) Hygrophila auriculata
99 Lethe europa Poaceae Bamboo Bambusa sp.
a) Running mountain grass a) Oplismenus compositus
100 Mycalesis perseus Poaceae
b) Barnyard grass/Cockspur grass b) Echinochloa sp.
a) Maize/Corn a) Zea mays
101 Melanitis leda Poaceae b) Indian thorny bamboo b) Bambusa arundinacea
c) Indian goosegrass c) Eleusine indica
102 Ypthima huebneri Poaceae Indian goosegrass Eleusine indica
a) Areca palm a) Areca catechu
b) Golden cane palm b) Dypsis lutescens
103 Elymnias hypermnestra Arecaceae
c) Silver date palm/Indian date c) Phoenix sylvestris
d) Macarthur palm d) Ptychosperma macarthurii

13
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

104 Ypthima asterope Poaceae Bermuda grass/Duba ghasa Cynodon sp.

105 Mycalesis mineus Poaceae Corn grass Setaria barbata
a) Running mountain grass a) Oplismenus compositus
106 Melanitis phedima Poaceae
b) Palmgrass/Knotroot b) Setaria palmifolia
107 Ypthima ceylonica Poaceae Corn grass Setaria barbata

Figure 3. Hierarchy of butterfly indicating the number of species observed in this study
Adapted from Van Nieukerken et al. (2011)

Figure 4. Photographs of butterfly species belonging to the family Papilionidae recorded in this study: (1)
Papilio polymnestor; (2) Papilio crino; (3) Graphium doson; (4) Papilio clytia; (5) Papilio polytes; (6)
Pachliopta aristolochiae; (7) Pachliopta hector; (8) Papilio demoleus; (9) Graphium agamemnon

14
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Figure 5. Photographs of butterfly species belonging to the family Hesperiidae recorded in this study: (1)
Hasora chromus; (2) Hasora vitta; (3) Ampittia dioscorides; (4) Iambrix salsala; (5) Taractrocera maevius;
(6) Matapa aria; (7) Parnara ganga; (8) Telicota aneilla; (9) Udaspes folus; (10) Suastus gremius; (11)
Pelopidas subochracea; (12) Borbo bevani; (13) Pelopidas agna; (14) Telicota colon; (15) Cephrenes acalle;
(16) Matapa purpurascens; (17) Borbo cinnara; (18) Pelopidas mathias; (19) Hyarotis adrastus; (20)
Cupitha purreea; (21) Sarangesa dasahara; (22) Caprona ransonnetti; (23) Spialia galba; (24) Coladenia
indrani; (25) Tagiades litigiosa

15
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Figure 6. Photographs of butterfly species belonging to the family Pieridae recorded in this study: (1)
Eurema simulatrix; (2) Catopsilia pomona; (3) Eurema hecabe; (4) Catopsilia pyranthe; (5) Eurema
andersonii; (6) Eurema blanda; (7) Appias olferna; (8) Cepora nerissa; (9) Delias eucharis; (10) Pareronia
hippia; (11) Leptosia nina; (12) Ixias pyrene

16
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Figure 7. Photographs of butterfly species belonging to the family Lycaenidae recorded in this study: (1)
Curetis thetis; (2) Freyeria putli; (3) Jamides celeno; (4) Acytolepis puspa; (5) Prosotas nora; (6) Castalius
rosimon; (7) Jamides bochus; (8) Zizeeria karsandra; (9) Catochrysops strabo; (10) Euchrysops cnejus;
(11) Zizina otis; (12) Chilades lajus; (13) Tarucus balkanica; (14) Pseudozizeeria maha; (15) Lampides
boeticus; (16) Luthrodes pandava; (17) Anthene lycaenina; (18) Neopithecops zalmora; (19)
Catochrysops panormus; (20) Tarucus nara; (21) Zizula hylax; (22) Spindasis vulcanus; (23) Mahathala
ameria; (24) Rathinda amor; (25) Amblypodia anita; (26) Rapala manea; (27) Loxura atymnus

17
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Figure 8. Photographs of butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae recorded in this study: (1)
Ariadne ariadne; (2) Ariadne merione; (3) Polyura athamas; (4) Euploea core; (5) Tirumala limniace; (6)
Parantica aglea; (7) Danaus chrysippus; (8) Danaus genutia; (9) Phalanta phalantha; (10) Acraea
terpsicore; (11) Symphaedra nais; (12) Neptis jumbah; (13) Moduza procris; (14) Euthalia aconthea; (15)
Pantoporia hordonia; (16) Neptis hylas; (17) Discophora sondaica; (18) Junonia orithya; (19) Junonia
iphita; (20) Hypolimnas misippus; (21) Hypolimnas bolina; (22) Junonia atlites; (23) Junonia lemonias;
(24) Vanessa cardui; (25) Junonia almana; (26) Lethe europa; (27) Mycalesis perseus; (28) Melanitis leda;
(29) Ypthima huebneri; (30) Elymnias hypermnestra; (31) Ypthima asterope; (32) Mycalesis mineus; (33)
Melanitis phedima; (34) Ypthima ceylonica

18
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Figure 9. Butterfly species distribution reported in 11 different study sites: (A) Family wise distribution
(%) of species; (B) Species to genus ratio (S/G) observed in this study; (C) Number of species distributed
in each study site; (D) Cluster graph showing family wise distribution range of species number in 11
different study sites
S, Study sites; *, Lowest species distribution; **, Highest species distribution

19
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Table 4. Species to genus ratio for the recorded species in this study
Sl. no Family name No. of Genus (G) No. of Species (S) S/G
1 Papilionidae 3 9 3.000
2 Hesperiidae 19 25 1.316
3 Pieridae 8 12 1.500
4 Lycaenidae 24 27 1.125
5 Nymphalidae 22 34 1.545

Table 5. Sørensen’s similarity index for butterfly species recorded in the study sites
Study
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11
site
S1 0.896 * 0.857 0.730 0.687 0.762 0.602 0.565 0.618 0.718 0.734
S2 0.896 * 0.862 0.793 0.617 0.734 0.556 0.521 0.571 0.712 0.703
S3 0.857 0.862 0.852 0.660 0.756 0.595 0.541 0.593 0.684 0.753
S4 0.730 0.793 0.852 0.578 0.693 0.500 0.470 ^ 0.535 0.580 0.657
S5 0.687 0.617 0.660 0.578 0.775 0.743 0.689 0.745 0.667 0.623
S6 0.762 0.734 0.756 0.693 0.775 0.688 0.618 0.689 0.689 0.681
S7 0.602 0.556 0.595 0.500 0.743 0.688 0.824 0.848 0.639 0.650
S8 0.565 0.521 0.541 0.470 ^ 0.689 0.618 0.824 0.852 0.600 0.611
S9 0.618 0.571 0.593 0.535 0.745 0.689 0.848 0.852 0.621 0.650
S10 0.718 0.712 0.684 0.580 0.667 0.689 0.639 0.600 0.621 0.588
S11 0.734 0.703 0.753 0.657 0.623 0.681 0.650 0.611 0.650 0.588
Similarity index value marked (*) is highest and marked (^) is the lowest. S1-S11, study sites.

Table 6. Results of one-way ANOVA based on the site wise and family wise distribution of species number
Butterfly species among Source of
1 SS df MS F stat P-value F crit
different study sites variation
Between groups 872.33 10 87.23 2.34 0.026 * 2.05
Within groups 1641.6 44 37.31
Total 2513.9 54
Butterfly species in Source of
2 SS df MS F stat P-value F crit
different families variation
Between groups 1324.8 4 331.21 13.92 < 0.0001 ** 2.55
Within groups 1189.1 50 23.78
Total 2513.9 54
ANOVA, analysis of variance; SS, sum of squares; df, degrees of freedom; MS, mean squares; F stat, F statistic; P-value,
probable value; F crit, critical value of F distribution. F stat values are significant at p < 0.05.

Discussion

Out of the total 107 species documented, three species (Papilio clytia, Pachliopta hector and
Hypolimnas misippus) are listed in Schedule I, four species (Euchrysops cnejus, Lampides boeticus, Anthene
lycaenina and Mahathala ameria) in Schedule II and two species (Hasora vitta and Hyarotis adrastus) in
Schedule IV of WPA, 1972. The study shows highest S/G ratio for Papilionidae, probably due to their less
genetic diversity as compared to other four families. Highest species diversity is observed in the study sites (S8,
S7, and S9 respectively), which are mainly dominated by fragmented forest, open scrubs, and croplands having
20
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

many host plants to sustain their lifecycle. Least number of butterfly species was recorded in the study sites S2
and S4 comprising urban habitat with continuous anthropogenic activities and less availability of host plants.
17 species are new additions to the existing butterfly data of Bhubaneswar. In this study, Painted Lady (Vanessa
cardui) is reported only once in the month of April 2019, which could be a result of its well-known long-range
migration (Stefanescu et al., 2016). The cluster is more scattered in case of Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, and
Nymphalidae as these families exhibit a greater number of species as compared to Papilionidae and Pieridae.
Sørensen’s similarity index showed the highest value between the study sites S1 and S2 indicating the highest
species overlap, perhaps because they are in close proximity and share a similar type of habitat. Least Sørensen’s
similarity index has been recorded between the sites S4 and S8 which might be due to the presence of
contrasting habitats. One-way ANOVA data suggest there is a significant variation between the butterfly
species of different families within the study range. Moreover, a significant variation is observed between the
butterfly species among the study sites. The ANOVA results show that the P < 0.05 and the value of F statistic
is greater than the critical value of F distribution, thereby rejecting the null hypothesis. Butterflies are an
integral part of our ecology and play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance. The present
documentation provides a reference point and opens new ways of analytical research scopes. Researchers would
find better sustainable approaches towards global conservation by understanding the biology of local
populations and their dynamics pertaining to rapidly urbanizing geographical ranges. Studying species diversity
has become more important in today’s world as it serves as a checkpoint for awareness and understanding of
interspecific and intraspecific interactions.

Conclusions

The study range supports a rich diversity of butterflies with a wide variety of plants which provide them
an ideal breeding habitat. An attempt is made in this study to show the importance of a local area as a model
geographical region with diverse habitats, suggesting the importance of local population in long term
biodiversity studies and conservation. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the relative dependence of the
butterfly species on their habitat. Considering such correlations would help in putting a check on the
decreasing number of butterflies due to rapid urbanization and habitat destruction. Further studies on local
butterflies of this region, covering various other aspects would undoubtedly contribute a lot towards solving
the global issue of conservation of nature and its depleting species.

Authors’ Contributions
Contributions

The manuscript is conceptualized, drafted and supervised by SKS. AS and NP helped equally in data
curation and all the authors analysed the data. All the authors contributed equally for the field work while
review and editing were done by SKS. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethical approval (for researches involving animals or humans)

In this study none of the butterfly species were collected, euthanized or killed by any means. Thus, the
images of butterflies represented in the figures are the result of live photography. An entomological net was
occasionally used and the butterflies were released unharmed to their natural habitat as soon as they were
photographed.

21
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Principal, B.J.B. Autonomous College and H.O.D., Zoology, B.J.B.
Autonomous College, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India for necessary permissions to perform the initial
observations. The authors are grateful to B. Swarup K. Subudhi for his support during field trip and Lohit S.
Singh for sharing the photograph of Painted Lady butterfly. Authors are also thankful to Yagnya P. Samal,
Mitasha Samal, Swayamsiddha Swain and Shaswati S. Samal for giving constant encouragement. This research
received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to this article.

References

Aduse-Poku K, Brattstrom O, Kodandaramaiah U, Lees DC, Brakefield PM, Wahlberg N (2015). Systematics and
historical biogeography of the old-world butterfly subtribe Mycalesina (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae).
BMC Evolutionary Biology 15(1):15-167. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-015-0449-3
Bingham CT (1905). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma: Butterflies. Vol. I. Taylor and Francis,
London.
Bingham CT (1907). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma: Butterflies. Vol. II. Taylor and Francis,
London.
Boruah B, Das GN, Payra A, Gogoi MJ, Dash SK, Tamuly T, … Rout SD (2018). Assessment of Butterfly (Lepidoptera,
Rhopalocera) Diversity in Manchabandha and Budhikhamari Reserve Forest, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India. Asian
Journal of Conservation Biology 7(1):51-65. http://www.ajcb.in/archive_july_18.php
Butterflies of India (2021). Indian foundation for butterflies. National Centre for Biological Sciences. Titli Trust, India.
Retrieved 2021 September 04 from https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/
Christopher AO (2020). Comparative analyses of diversity and similarity indices of west bank forest and block a forest of
the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. International Journal of
Forestry Research 2020:4865845. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4865845
Cotton A, Fric Z, Gupta I, Gasse P, Inayoshi Y, Khoon K, …Smetacek P (2015). A synoptic catalogue of the butterflies of
India. Indinov Publishing, New Delhi, Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal, India.
Fernandez-Chacon A, Stefanescu C, Genovart M, Nichols JD, Hines JE, Paramo F, …Oro D (2014). Determinants of
extinction-colonization dynamics in Mediterranean butterflies: the role of landscape, climate and local habitat
features. Journal of Animal Ecology 83(1):276-285. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12118
Forest & Environment Department (2020). Climatological Data of Orissa 2020. ENVIS Centre of Odisha's State of
Environment. Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Forest & Environment Department,
Orissa, Govt of India. Retrived 2021 September 04 from
http://www.orienvis.nic.in/index1.aspx?lid=24&mid=1&langid=1&linkid=22
Gogoi PP, Vinoj V, Swain D, Roberts G, Dash J, Tripathy S (2019). Land use and land cover change effect on surface
temperature over Eastern India. Scientific Reports 9:8859. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-45213-z
Horsfield T, Moore F (1857). A Catalogue of the Lepidopterous Insects in the Museum of the Hon. East-India Company:
Vol. I. WM. H. Allen and Co., London.
India Meteorological Department (2018). Annual report 2018. Information Science & Knowledge Resource. India
Meteorological Department, New Delhi, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India. Retrieved 2021 September
04 from https://metnet.imd.gov.in/imdnews/ar2018.pdf
Karmakar T, Nitin R, Sarkar V, Baidya S, Mazumder S, Chandrasekharan V, … Veino J (2018). Early stages and larval host
plants of some northeastern Indian butterflies. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(6):11780-11799.
http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3169.10.6.11780-11799

22
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Kawahara AY, Breinholt JW (2014). Phylogenomics provides strong evidence for relationships of butterflies and moths.
Proceedings of Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 281(1788):20140970.
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.0970
Kehimkar I (2016). Butterflies of India (1st ed). Bombay Natural History Society. Mumbai, India.
Kim TK (2017). Understanding one-way ANOVA using conceptual figures. Korean Journal of Anesthesiology 70(1):22-
26. https://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2017.70.1.22
Klein AM, Vaissiere BE, Cane JH, Steffan-Dewenter I, Cunningham SA, Kremen C, Tscharntke T (2007). Importance
of pollinators in changing landscapes for world crops. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
274(1608):303-313. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2006.3721
Kozak KM, Wahlberg N, Neild AF, Dasmahapatra KK, Mallet J, Jiggins CD (2015). Multilocus species trees show the
recent adaptive radiation of the mimetic heliconius butterflies. Society of Systematic Biologists 64(3):505-524.
https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syv007
Kronforst MR, Papa R (2015). The functional basis of wing patterning in Heliconius butterflies: the molecules behind
mimicry. Genetics 200(1):1-19. https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.114.172387
Kunte K (2000). India, a Lifescape: butterflies of peninsular India. Universities Press (1st ed). A.P. India.
MacDonald ZG, Anderson ID, Acorn JH, Nielsen SE (2018). Decoupling habitat fragmentation from habitat loss:
butterfly species mobility obscures fragmentation effects in a naturally fragmented landscape of lake islands.
Oecologia 186(1):11-27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-017-4005-2
Mandal D, Nandi D (1983). On Collection of Papilionidae from Orissa, India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India
81(1/2):355-368. http://recordsofzsi.com/index.php/zsoi/article/view/161275
Manesi Z, Van Lange PA, Pollet TV (2015). Butterfly Eyespots: Their Potential Influence on Aesthetic Preferences and
Conservation Attitudes. PLoS One 10(11):e0141433. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0141433
Marshall GFL, Nicéville LD (1882). The butterflies of India, Burmah and Ceylon. The Calcutta Central Press Co., Ld.,
Calcutta.
Mishra S, Mahapatra PK, Sinha S, Nayak HP, Mishra AK, Nair MV, …Panda S (2010). Butterfly diversity of
Nandankanan Wildlife Sanctuary, Orissa, India. E-planet 8(1):31-37. http://e-
planet.co.in/images/Publication/EPLANE8.1.pdf
Mohapatra RK, Mishra AK, Mishra S, Parida SP (2013). A prelimnary assessment of Butterfly diversity in Utkal
University Campus, Odisha. Zoo's Print 28(9):28-31.
https://www.zoosprint.zooreach.org/index.php/zp/article/view/1282/1180
Nallu S, Hill JA, Don K, Sahagun C, Zhang W, Meslin C, …Kronforst MR (2018). The molecular genetic basis of
herbivory between butterflies and their host plants. Nature Ecology & Evolution 2:1418-1427.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0629-9
Nitin R, Balakrishnan V, Churi PV, Kalesh S, Prakash S, Kunte K (2018). Larval host plants of the butterflies of the
Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(4):11495-11550.
http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3104.10.4.11495-11550
Payra A, Dash SK, Das UP, Palei HS, Mishra AK (2019). Butterflies of Athgarh Forest Division, Odisha, Eastern India,
with notes on some significant records. Acta Biologica Sibirica 5(3):188-198.
https://doi.org/10.14258/abs.v5.i3.6593
Pellet J, Bried JT, Parietti D, Gander A, Heer PO, Cherix D, Arlettaz R (2012). Monitoring butterfly abundance: beyond
Pollard walks. PLoS One 7(7):e41396-e41396. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0041396
Pollard E, Yates TJ (1992). The extinction and foundation of local butterfly populations in relation to population
variability and other factors. Ecological Entomology 17(3):249-254. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-
2311.1992.tb01055.x
Priyamvada, Mohapatra AK (2016). A preliminary study on diversity of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Macrolepidoptera) in
Regional Institute of Education campus, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Journal of Entomology and Zoology
Studies 4(2):489-496.
Reddy CS, Khuroo AA, Krishna PH, Saranya KRL, Jha CS, Dadhwal VK (2014). Threat evaluation for biodiversity
conservation of forest ecosystems using geospatial techniques: A case study of Odisha, India. Ecological
Engineering 69:287-303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2014.05.006
Roy A, Devi BSS, Debnath B, Mutrthy MRS (2010). Geospatial Modelling for Identification of Potential Ecological
Corridors in Orissa. Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing 38(3):387-399.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-010-0042-6

23
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

Royer RA, Austin JE, Newton WE (1998). Checklist and “Pollard Walk” Butterfly Survey Methods on Public Lands. The
American Midland Naturalist 140(2):358-371. https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-
0031(1998)140[0358:CAPWBS]2.0.CO;2
Ruszczyk A, Silva CF (1997). Butterflies select microhabitats on building walls. Landscape and Urban Planning
38(1/2):119-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(97)00039-X
Salz A, Fartmann T (2017). Larval habitat preferences of a threatened butterfly species in heavy-metal grasslands. Journal
of Insect Conservation 21:129-136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-017-9961-7
Scheduled Insect species (2014). ENVIS Centre on Wildlife & Protected Areas. Retrieved 2021 September 04 from
http://wiienvis.nic.in/Database/ScheduleSpeciesDatabase_7969.aspx
Singh A, Mohanty LM, Tripathy A, Pradhan S (2020). Study of butterfly diversity in agronomy field, OUAT,
Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 8(1):1028-1034.
Smetacek P (2018). A naturalist's guide to the butterflies of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (1st
ed). Prakash Books India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India.
Stefanescu C, Soto DX, Talavera G, Vila R, Hobson KA (2016). Long-distance autumn migration across the Sahara by
painted lady butterflies: exploiting resource pulses in the tropical savannah. Biology Letters 12(10):20160561.
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0561
Swain D, Roberts GJ, Dash J, Vinoj V, Lekshmi K, Tripathy S (2016). Impact of rapid urbanization on the microclimate
of Indian cities: a case study for the city of Bhubaneswar. Proceedings Volume 9877, Land Surface and
Cryosphere Remote Sensing III. SPIE Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing, New Delhi, India pp 98772X-7.
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2228111
Syaripuddin K, Sing K-W, Wilson J-J (2015). Comparison of Butterflies, Bats and Beetles as Bioindicators Based on Four
Key Criteria and DNA Barcodes. Tropical Conservation Science 8(1):138-149.
https://doi.org/10.1177/194008291500800112
Talbot G (1939). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma: Butterflies. Vol. I. Taylor and Francis,
London.
Talbot G (1947). The Fauna of British of India, including Pakistan, Ceylon and Burma: Butterflies. Vol. II. Taylor and
Francis, London.
Thomas CD, Thomas JA, Warren MS (1992). Distributions of occupied and vacant butterfly habitats in fragmented
landscapes. Oecologia 92(4):563-567. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317850
Tiple AD, Khurad AM, Dennis RLH (2011). Butterfly larval host plant use in a tropical urban context: life history
associations, herbivory, and landscape factors. Journal of Insect Science 11(1):65.
https://doi.org/10.1673/031.011.6501
van Bergen E, Osbaldeston D, Kodandaramaiah U, Brattstrom O, Aduse-Poku K, Brakefield PM (2017). Conserved
patterns of integrated developmental plasticity in a group of polyphenic tropical butterflies. BMC Evolutionary
Biology 17:59. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-017-0907-1
Van Nieukerken EJ, Kaila L, Kitching IJ, Kristensen NP, Lees DC, Minet J, … Zwick A (2011). Order Lepidoptera. In:
Zhang ZQ (Ed). Animal Biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness.
Zootaxa 3148:212-221. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3148.1.41
Verspagen N, Ikonen S, Saastamoinen M, van Bergen E (2020). Multidimensional plasticity in the Glanville fritillary
butterfly: larval performance is temperature, host and family specific. Proceedings of the Royal Society B:
Biological Sciences 287(1941):20202577. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2577
Wang Wei J, Lee BPY-H, Bing Wen L (2016). Citizen Science and the Urban Ecology of Birds and Butterflies - A
Systematic Review. PLoS One 11(6):e0156425. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156425
Wood B, Gillman MP (1998). The effects of disturbance on forest butterflies using two methods of sampling in Trinidad.
Biodiversity & Conservation 7:597-616. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008800317279

24
 Samal SK et al. (2021). Not Sci Biol 13(4):11074

The journal offers free, immediate, and unrestricted access to peer-reviewed research and scholarly work. Users are
allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any
other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.
License - Articles published in Notulae Scientia Biologicae are Open-Access, distributed under the terms
and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) License.
© Articles by the authors; SHST, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The journal allows the author(s) to hold the copyright/to
retain publishing rights without restriction.

25