Comparative studies on the diversity of butterflies between coastal and arid zones

Abstract

Butterflies are biological indicators of the habitats. They are very sensitive to their environment, their very presence or absence indicates the health of the environment. Though there are reports of butterfly diversity in various parts of our country, hardly there are any reports on comparative studies on these organisms. Hence, comparative studies on diversity of butterflies in coastal and arid zone were conducted. The coastal area of Goa was compared with arid zone Bagalkot (Karnataka State), for the diversity of butterflies. During the study period, a total of 80 species of butterflies, of which 56 species of butterflies were from arid zone Bagalkot (Karnataka) and 50 species were recorded from coastal region Goa. Among these, members belonging to the family Nymphalidae, were the most common. The maximum diversity and abundance was observed in the arid region, with around 26 species common to both, 30 different species restricted only to arid area and 24 different species to the coastal area. Result showed that, the populations differed in variability and responses to endogenous and exogenous factors.