A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON BUTTERFLY FAUNA (LEPIDOPTERA) FROM DEOT-SIDH HILLS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
REENA KUMARI
Department of Zoology, D.A.V. University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India.
VANDANA KUMARI
Department of Zoology, M.C.M.D.A.V. College, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India.
DINESH LAKHANPAL
Department of Zoology, D.A.V. College, Jalandhar, Punjab, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Butterfly are diverse insect in its distribution and abundance. Himachal Pradesh have rich diversity of this group due to its varied climatic conditions which range from tropical in Shivalik foothills to the arctic in the Trans-Himalayan region. This preliminary study was conducted to explore butterfly fauna around Deot-Sidh hills of Himachal Pradesh from 2017-2018. A total of 23 butterfly species belonging to 19 genera and 3 families of order Lepidoptera namely Nymphalidae, Pieridae and Papilionidae were collected. Nymphalidae represented by 14 species was found to be most dominant followed by Pieridae (6 species) and Papilionidae (3 species). Representative percentage composition of these 3 families showed Nymphalidae constituting around (62%) of total butterfly fauna, followed by Pieridae (24%) and Papilionidae (14%).
Keywords: Butterfly diversity, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh