Abstract
Butterflies were sampled during February and September 2008 using pollard walk method to assess the species diversity in the tropical moist deciduous sal forest habitats of Ankua Reserve Forest, Koina Range, Saranda Division, West Singhbhum District, Jharkhand. This area, a total of 999.9ha, is being proposed for lease under an iron ore mining project. This short-term study revealed high beta diversity of butterflies in these forest tracts, with 71 species recorded. Of these, two species, Leopard Lacewing Cethosia cyane (Drury, 1773) and Restricted Demon Notocrypta curvifascia (C. & R. Felder, 1862), are new records for Jharkhand state while three other species recorded are listed in the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. This study provides support for long-term conservation of these fragmented sal forest tracts to ensure biodiversity protection.
Highlights
The Sal Shorea robusta forests of the Saranda Forest Division are rich in high and medium grade hematite deposits and many mines are operational in the area for extraction of iron ore
The most common species sampled during the study was the Common Grass Yellow Eurema hecabe (Image 2) which constituted 42.4% followed by Large Oak Blue Arhopala amantes (10.8%) (Image 3), Common Sailer Neptis hylas (3.8%) (Image 4), Chocolate Pansy Precis iphita (3.6%), Grey Count Tanaecia lepidea (2.6%) (Image 5), Common Emigrant Catopsilia crocale (2.2%), Blue Mormon Papilio polymnestor (2.2%) (Image 6), and Common Mormon Papilio polytes (2.2%) of the total butterfly abundance in the study area (Appendix 1)
The present study was the first time that butterflies were evaluated in the sal forests of Saranda Divison, West Singhbhum District, Jharkhand
Summary
The Sal Shorea robusta forests of the Saranda Forest Division are rich in high and medium grade hematite deposits and many mines are operational in the area for extraction of iron ore. Some new lease areas for iron ore extraction/mining inside sal forest tracts have been proposed and marked for private companies. As such these forest tracts are threatened with mining and so is their biodiversity. A study was carried out in the sal forests of Ankua Reserve Forest in order to assess the status of fauna. The aim of the present study was to evaluate species diversity of butterflies and to identify species of conservation priority, if any, as there is no previous record of butterflies from West Singhbhum District, Jharkhand. Understanding the biodiversity profile of the area can provide data for better mining practices, mitigation plans, and suggesting biodiversity offsets for the conservation of threatened biodiversity (ten Kate et al 2004)
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