Abstract
Seasonal population trends of butterflies inhabiting the campus of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) at Kalpakkam were recorded by setting a permanent line transect of 300m and recording all species of butterflies observed within a 5m distance. The survey yielded 2177 individuals of 56 butterfly species, belonging to the families Nymphalidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Papilionidae and Hesperiidae. Nymphalidae were found to be the dominant family during all seasons. Species richness and abundance were highest during the northeast monsoon and winter periods, indicating that in the southern plains of India butterflies prefer cool seasons for breeding and emergence. The taxonomic structure of the butterflies sampled resembles that of the Western Ghats and other regions of India in two ways: (a) dominance of nymphalids and (b) peak abundance during wet seasons. A detailed study of ecologically important local butterfly fauna and their host plants is in progress, to construct a butterfly garden in Kalpakkam to attract and support butterflies.
Highlights
Seasonality is a common phenomenon in insect populations
Seasonal population trends of butterflies inhabiting the campus of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) at Kalpakkam were recorded by setting a permanent line transect of 300m and recording all species of butterflies observed within a 5m distance
The main natural vegetation observed at DAE campus is dry evergreen and scrub comprising of members predominantly belonging to the families Poaceae, Fabaceae, Cyperaceae, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Verbenaceae, Solanaceae, Rubiaceae, Convolvulaceae and Amaranthaceae (Gajendiran & Ragupathy 2002)
Summary
Seasonal fluctuations are often influenced by environmental factors including temperature, photoperiod, rainfall, humidity, variation in the availability of food resources, and vegetation cover such as herbs and shrubs (Anu 2006; Anu et al 2009; Shanthi et al 2009; Tiple & Khurad 2009). Butterflies have important ecosystem roles including pollination, and they are useful in studies of population and community ecology (Pollard 1991) as indicators of ecosystem health because they are very sensitive to changes in microclimate and habitat (Erhardt 1985; Kremen 1992). Many species are strictly seasonal (Kunte 1997), and their population dynamics are generally considered to be governed by environmental factors. The purpose of this study is to determine trends in butterfly species constellations and identify their
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
