Butterfly diversity around an irrigation reservoir in the semi-arid zone of central Gujarat, India: A consideration for conservation management

Abstract

An appraisal of butterfly species diversity was made around a Nationally Important Wetland - Wadhwana Irrigation Reservoir (WIR) in the semi-arid zone of Central Gujarat as a model geographical area. A checklist of the butterflies observed around the wetland was prepared and monitored for a span of three years (2008-2011). The species recorded were given abundance rating according to their encounter frequency. A total of 42 species were observed around the reservoir dominated by Nymphalidae (38%) over Pieridae (31%), Lycaenidae (21%) and Papilionidae (10%). Three species were rated as abundant while majority of the species were rated either rare or uncommon. The density of the butterflies varied with the seasons and family significantly. It is apparent that the reservoir can sustain diverse butterfly species which includes species requiring conservation efforts. Considering the landscape, steps to enhance the conservation should be adopted to maintain butterfly diversity and sustain the ecosystem services derived from them.