Butterfly Communities Along Altitudinal Gradients in a Protected Forest in the Western Himalayas, India

Abstract

Butterfly communities were studied along altitudinal gradients in the Pindari area of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in the Bageshwar district of Uttaranchal, India, during April 2005 to March 2006. The altitude of the study area ranged between 2000 m to 3050 m with temperate and subalpine types of vegetation. A transect method was used to collect the data. Four transects, two in each site, of a length of 1000 m each, were laid. From 96 sets of data, a total of 5038 individuals from the Papilionodea super family (butterflies) of Lepidoptera, representing 54 species and 9 families were recorded. The family Nymphalidae was the most abundant both in terms of the number of species and individuals, while the two most common species were Vanessa cashmirensis Fru and Pieris canidia indica Sparr recorded from all the four transects and contributed 8.3% and 6.4% of all individuals collected from all the four transects, respectively. The families Danaidae and Hesparidae were confined to the lower altitude site with broad-leaved forest. Rahinda hardonia Stoll, Caprona ransonnetti Felder, Atella phalanta phalanta Drury, Chilaria kina Hewiston, Parnara guttatus Bremer, Colias erate (Esper.), Vanessa indica indica Herbst and Dodona durga Kollar were recorded only on a few occasions from all the four transects and need to be monitored regularly. A significant difference was recorded in the species composition, abundance and diversity of the two habitats studied. Higher values of richness, abundance and diversity were recorded for the habitats at lower altitude. The habitats with the same altitude but with more heterogeneity were associated with higher values of all the studied parameters.