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Abstract
Anthropogenic activities affect the distribution and diversity of any species in
any area. The goal of this study is to study the effects of anthropogenic activities on the
species diversity of Lepidoptera in three of the mainsites on the entrance gate of Kumaoun
hills in western HimalaV~s, The species composition and species diversity of insects
vari~ in all the three study sites showing the effect of temperature and disturbances
associated with other ecological and climatic parameters. In the present study a total of
484 individuals belongir\~ to 68 species of 11 families were identified. Among which
Pieridae was found to be the most dominant family with 215 individuals and constituting
44.42 % of the total abundance and the most dominant family in terms of species richness
wastound
havi~9 45 to
species.
be maximum
Shannon
for wiener
the undisturbed
diversity site
indeX,
andabundance
minimum for
and
thespecies
disturbed
richness
site.
Key word~nthropogenic,
index
Introduction
Lepidoptera are regarded as one of the
important component of biodiversity (New and
collins, 1991) and are the second largest order
among insects made up of approximately
1,50,000 species so far known to the literature.
These include moth (Hetrocera) and butterflies
(Rhopalocera) of which 70,820 are butterflies
according to more recent estimate (Shields,
1989). Although several estimate have been
made from time to time, ranging from a low of
13,000 (Owen, 1971) to the maximum of 20,000
(Vane Wrights, 1978) earlier.
Butterflies
are widely recognised
as
potentially valuable ecological indicators. Their
presence can prove that habitats are suitable
and indicate that certain conditions have been
met. The degree of diversity depends upon the
adaptability of a species to a particular micro
habitat. Anthropogenic activities can cause a
Received on : 28/08/2012
'Department of Science,
Haldwani (U.K) -263139,
Accepted on : 02/04/2013
Humanities and Mathematics, Amrapali
India E-mail:ncjoshi83@yahoo.com.
Institute of Technology
and Sciences,
N.C.Joshiand SunderSingh
48 ,
the
insect Vfto
. The
collected
were
transferred
bottles
containinginsects
ethyl acetate
soaked cotton. All the specimens were brought
to the laboratory
for further studies. The
specimens were stretched, pinned and oven dried
at 60C for 72 hour and then set into wooden
boxes and labelled. The specimen which could
not be identified in the laboratory on the basis of
available keys, were sent to Entomological
Section of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun
and Entomological Biodiversity and Behaviour
lab., Department of Zoology & Environmental
=-
L
1=1
pi log pi
Table 01: Monthly variation in temperature (0C) and humidity (%) during the study period
(October 201 0- March 2011).
S.No.
9.4
66
1
28.2
8.3
62
9.1
74
H -201021.2
November
December
52
55
64
15.2
11.6
0.2
3.4
64
63
15.3
March
58
42
62
69
69
11.5
19.4
4.2
0.6
58
23.6
19.4
October
65
HT
2
24.8
H
Month
2.4
72
Site
2 1
Site
3
T
January-2011
February
Diversity of Butterflies from three road side sites at different altitudinal zones of district Nainital
49
50
---++
+++
<
+
S.No. Catopsilia
Site
2Chrysippus
Prantica
sita
Leada
ismeni
Site
3balada
pyranthe
Linn
Taxonomic
Composition
Lampides
Eurema
sp
bocticus
(Ranibagh)
(Kathgodam)
HlPdes
flernara
Parage
Phalenta
Danaus
Rhesalasp.
Catopsilia
Graphium
shakaro
kavana
gullatus
sp.
alcippe
crocale
c/oanthus
Koll
Koll
Drury
11
Nqrathurafulla
Princeps
Papilio
Euploea
Danus
L!!Jhe
Parides
Eupterote
Prantica
Ypthima
Yapthima
algae
d.
philoxinus
balda
corealgae
demoleus
polytes
Demoleus
lineosa
litura
Koll
Stoll
core
b.romulus
ignara
balda
romulus
Linn
Gray
Linn
riley
Cramer
Papiliosp.
Spodotera
Vrapteryx
polytes
obuleatea
sp.
Cramer
4'2
40verma
--'iR 1
++
Site
+
47
66
55
63
42
64
65
54
51
Diversity of Butterflies from three road side sites at different altitudinal zones of district Nainital
1.735
1.886
1.844
135
143
40
42
58
1.161
1.083
1.045
206
Abundance(N)
Evenness
Diversity
Richness
(H) (S) (E)
51
52
4: 2-6.
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(Lepidoptera). Zool. Surv.lnd., Calcutta, pp. 131138.
Arora, G. S., Ghosh, S. K., Chaudhary, M. (1995). Fauna
of Western
Himalaya
(Lepidopteran:
Diversity of Butterflies from three road side sites at different altitudinal zones of district Nainital
study with reference to butterflies and moths
r (Insecta: Lepidoptera)in the Silent valley National
'Park (Kerala). Advances In Forestry Research
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i,
53
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