Bait Selection of Butterflies at Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex World Heritage, Thailand

Abstract

Butterflies mainly feed on flower nectar and juice of rotting fruit, carrion, or dung. To attract butterflies, we tested 8 fermented fruits and fish bait types in dry evergreen and secondary forest at Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex World Heritage, Thailand. Three replicates of each bait traps were hang in an open area from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. once a month from May to October 2010. We found a total of 79 butterfly species (3,038 individuals). The average number of species and individuals were significantly different among bait types, months, and forest types (p<0.01). Fermented fish mixed with fermented pineapple attracted the most species (69 species) since it contained both sodium and amino acids, followed by fish sauce (49 species), fermented fish (46 species), pineapple (35 species), banana (26 species), papaya (17 species), watermelon (11 species) and beer (8 species), respectively. The most commonly attracted butterfly was Euploea core (427 individuals), followed by Euploearadamanthus (288) individuals), Caletaroxus (234 individuals), Paranticaaglea (211 individuals), Tirumalaseptentrionis (123 individuals), and Prosotasgracilis (117 individuals), respectively. Therefore, fermented fish mixed with fermented pineapple is recommended as a bait to attract fruit-feeding butterflies in the tropic..