Preliminary studies on butterfly fauna of Narmada Nagar town, Dist. Khandwa M.P

Abstract

Butterflies are highly diverse animals and most studied group of insects. Butterflies are easily identified and very useful to biodiversity survey, they are very sensitive and severely affected by environmental fluctuations. The Indian subcontinent bearing a diverse climate and host vegetations which gives support to nearly 1500 species of butterflies. Since eighteen century so many studies on butterflies have done in different parts of globe. According to different studies the population of butterflies and other insects is declining day by day, the diversity of butterflies was recorded in Narmada Nagar town dist. Khandwa during august 2022 to October 2022. A total of 621 individuals belong to 35 species from 4 families i.e. Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Lycanidae and Pieridae. Family nymphalidae was found dominant with 22 species while only 3 species recorded from family pieridae, both Lycanidae and papilionidae families represented by 5 species each, grass yellow, common crow and lime pansy were found dominant species with highest number of individuals during the study period, the dominance of these species was because of presence of their larval host plants in this area. . No previous studies were done in this area that’s why we cannot calculate whether the butterfly fauna of this area is increasing or decreasing; the present study is the first attempt to determine the status and distribution of butterflies which were dwelling in and around the town Narmada Nagar, during the study period higher species richness and abundance of butterflies were recorded in the month of September while least number of butterflies was recorded in July.