Butterfly Family Research Articles

Species diversity and seasonal dynamics of insects in the high altitude tea estate Uttarkhand, India

The study explored the insect communities and their seasonality within tea plantations micro-climate and finds the relatedness of these insects with the environment variables of the terroir. The study carried out at the Ghorakhal Tea Estates of Uttarakhand, collected a total of 2195 insect individuals, belonging to seven orders and 15 families and their population dynamics were measured along with the environmental variables in the estate. The Shannon-Weiver Index (H) indicated moderate species richness (2.94). The most abundant Order was Hymenoptera (30%), followed by Lepidoptera (27%). Family of pollinator bees (24%) and Pierid butterflies (19%) were dominant in the tea plantation area. The highest diversity and evenness of insect communities was observed during the summer season. The study highlights the influence of temperature, air quality, and humidity on the insect population. Canonical Correspondence Analysis suggests a significant relationship between abiotic environmental factors and insect species’ abundance. Distribution of 69.4 per cent was explained by the temperature and humidity, and 30.5 per cent by the air quality. Insect diversity was positively correlated to temperature (0.85) and humidity (0.93) and negatively correlated with air quality (-0.89).

A Comparison of Butterfly Diversity Results between iNaturalist and Expert Surveys in Eastern Oklahoma

Ongoing worldwide biodiversity declines and range shifts associated with climate change increase the importance of documenting the current distributions of species to establish baseline data. However, financial and logistical constraints make it impossible for taxonomic experts to conduct thorough surveys in most locations. One popular approach to offset the lack of expert sampling is using community science data collected by the public, curated, and made available for research. These datasets, however, contain different biases than those typically present in data collected through conventional survey practices, often leading to different results. Recent studies have used massive datasets generated over large areas; however, less is known about the results obtained at smaller scales or with more limited sampling intervals. We compared butterfly observations in eastern Oklahoma using a dataset obtained from the popular community science website iNaturalist and one collected during targeted surveys of glade habitats conducted by taxonomic experts. At the county-level scale, the relative abundances of butterfly species correlated well between the glade surveys and the iNaturalist observations, and there was no difference in the relative abundance of different butterfly families between the two survey methods. However, as anticipated, the conventional surveys outperformed the community science data in measuring biodiversity at a smaller geographic scale.

Changes in Population Densities and Species Richness of Pollinators in the Carpathian Basin during the Last 50 Years (Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera)

Temporal changes in population densities and species richness of three main pollinator groups—moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera); bees, wasps and sawflies (Hymenoptera); and hoverflies, horseflies, tachinids and bee flies (Diptera)—were investigated in the Carpathian Basin. Maintaining pollinator diversity is a crucial factor for preserving our biodiversity and ecosystems; furthermore, several pollinator species have a strong economic role in maintaining crop and fruit cultures. Our conclusions are based on our three and four decades of faunistic surveys in various regions of the Carpathian Basin. Analyzing and comparing our data with the historical data of the last 50 years, we concluded that densities of some pollinators declined during the past decade and a half (Symphyta, hoverflies), although populations of several species of Mediterranean origin grew (Aculeata) and new species even migrated from the warmer regions. In numerous cases, this decrease was dramatic: more than 90% decline of certain butterfly species were detected. On the other hand, the composition of pollinator fauna significantly changed due to the disappearance of some mountainous or mesophile species. The main reason for the decrease in pollinator communities is due partly to climatic change and partly to anthropogenic factors. Different groups of pollinators react differently: some groups like Syrphidae, Tachinidae, most of the butterfly families and bumblebees suffered a strong decline in the last two decades; other warm-loving groups like most of Aculeata and horseflies and bee flies showed a significant increase in population densities. Our conclusion: in our region, the pollinator crisis is present but moderate; however, there is a clear sign of the gradual transition of our pollinator fauna towards the Mediterranean type.

Diversity and Abundance of Butterfly Species Complex in Two Diverse Habitats of Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, India

Butterflies are important bio-indicators that should be protected to conserve the biodiversity and environment. They play an important role in the food chain and are valuable pollinators in the local environment. The present study investigated and compared the butterfly abundance and diversity within two different habitats (i) Undisturbed and (ii) Disturbed, in Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Campus, Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh. A total of 24 butterfly species were recorded during the study from June 2022 to July 2023 using transects with the aid of sweep nets. An overall total of 2537 butterflies were recorded, which spread across 05 families 17 genera and 23 species. The most abundant family of butterflies caught in undisturbed ecosystems was Pieridae 38% followed by Nymphalidae 27%, Lycaenidae 14%, Papilionidae and Hesperiidae 7%. In disturbed ecosystems butterflies were distributed as Pieridae being dominated with 52% followed by Lycaenidae at 22%, Nymphalidae at 16%, Hesperiidae at 7% and Papilionidae at 3%. The undisturbed habitat was more diversified (H’-1.59) in butterfly diversity than the disturbed habitat (H’- 1.20).

Bee and butterfly records indicate diversity losses in western and southern North America, but extensive knowledge gaps remain.

Pollinator losses threaten ecosystems and food security, diminishing gene flow and reproductive output for ecological communities and impacting ecosystem services broadly. For four focal families of bees and butterflies, we constructed over 1400 ensemble species distribution models over two time periods for North America. Models indicated disproportionally increased richness in eastern North America over time, with decreases in richness over time in the western US and southern Mexico. To further pinpoint geographic areas of vulnerability, we mapped records of potential pollinator species of conservation concern and found high concentrations of detections in the Great Lakes region, US East Coast, and southern Canada. Finally, we estimated asymptotic diversity indices for genera known to include species that visit flowers and may carry pollen for ecoregions across two time periods. Patterns of generic diversity through time mirrored those of species-level analyses, again indicating a decline in pollinators in the western U.S. Increases in generic diversity were observed in cooler and wetter ecoregions. Overall, changes in pollinator diversity appear to reflect changes in climate, though other factors such as land use change may also explain regional shifts. While statistical methods were employed to account for unequal sampling effort across regions and time, improved monitoring efforts with rigorous sampling designs would provide a deeper understanding of pollinator communities and their responses to ongoing environmental change.

Hot topics in butterfly research: Current knowledge and gaps in understanding of the impacts of temperature on butterflies

Abstract As small poikilotherms, insects are largely dependent on their environment for thermoregulation and so are particularly vulnerable to changing temperatures. Butterflies are a well‐studied group often used as models to investigate insect responses to temperature. However, little has been done to synthesise and present this large volume of literature in an accessible format, particularly with reference to knowledge gaps and areas rich in information. Using a systematic mapping method, we synthesised the last 40 years of research on the topic of butterfly responses to temperature. We identified and coded 451 research papers, in which butterfly species were studied 3198 times. We identified taxonomic groups, regions and experimental designs that were well or poorly represented. We found that there was a relatively good balance of representation across butterfly families in relation to the number of species within each family. The tropics were less frequently studied than temperate regions, and there were more studies reporting outcomes on adults than at any other life stage. Finally, in situ studies were more common than ex situ studies. Taken together, the higher representation of certain regions, life stages and approaches could lead to an incomplete understanding of the impacts of temperature on butterflies, potentially resulting in ill‐informed decisions. We make suggestions for how to resolve these discrepancies in representation, including calling for an increased focus on the tropics, the establishment of butterfly monitoring schemes in the global south, a greater focus on the effects of temperature on non‐adult life stages, an increase in experiments investigating fluctuating thermal regimes and the incorporation of more behavioural responses to temperature in future research. Only by addressing these disparities can we gain a complete understanding of how butterflies will respond to climate change.

Small reserve but high diversity: butterfly community across an altitudinal gradient in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

The present study aimed to describe the composition of the butterfly community in relation to the altitudinal gradient in the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural (RPPN) Alto-Montana, Serra da Mantiqueira, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to provide a list of species for the area. We collected samples in the RPPN Alto-Montana along an altitudinal gradient from 1400 to 2100 m, between the dry and rainy seasons of 2018 and 2019. During this period, the sampling method utilizing Van-Someren Rydon traps totaled 3,936 hours and the effort using sweep nets totaled 246 hours. A total of 1,253 butterflies distributed across 124 species and six families of diurnal butterflies were observed (Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, and Riodinidae). Nymphalidae was the most representative family, followed by Hesperiidae, Pieridade, Lycaenidae, Papilionidae and Riodinidae. Moreover, we recorded 37 species with only one individual (singletons) and 20 species with only two individuals (doubletons), totalling 57 species, which corresponds to 46% of all sampled richness. The rarefaction curve did not reveal a tendency toward stabilization. However, the indices showed slightly higher values for the 124 species sampled. The analysis performed using the Bootstrap estimator predicted a total of 143.22 species (± 10.87 SE), with a further 19 additional species than observed. Chao 1 predicted 153.42 (± 11.82 SE), and Jackknife 1 predicted 164.00 (± 16.29 SE) species, with 29 and 40 additional species than the observed, respectively. Our study contributes to the knowledge of butterfly biodiversity in Serra da Mantiqueira and reveals a high species richness for the RPPN Alto Montana, especially considering the relatively small area. In addition, our study provides the first inventory of butterflies for the RPPN Alto Montana, thus supporting further studies investigating the butterfly richness in the Serra da Mantiqueira region. Finally, our findings of endemic, rare, and endangered butterfly species highlight the relevance of further conservation strategies to be considered for the Protected Area’s Management Plan.

DNA barcoding and phylogenetic relationships of ten butterfly caterpillars

Cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI), known as DNA barcodes, can be employed for the identification of an unknown specimen at the species level. The present study was aimed at performing COI gene-based identification of butterflies using butterfly caterpillars. Consecutively, ten caterpillars of ten different butterfly species from the families Papilionidae, Nymphalidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, and Hesperiidae were taken from respective host plants and used to generate COI gene sequences that were about 650 bp long. After BLAST analysis, the sequenced gene revealed 96–100% similarity to the same species from different regions. Then, sequences were submitted to NCBI's GenBank and obtained ten accession numbers. In order to elucidate genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships among ten species of butterfly caterpillars, pairwise distance analysis and the construction of a phylogenetic tree were performed using MEGA10 and BioEdit software. In the analysis, the interspecific genetic divergence among the caterpillars of butterflies was between 0.101-0.164%. A phylogenetic tree was constructed with the assistance of the Neighbor-Joining (NJ) algorithm, which identified two major clades, A and B, as well as indicated that butterflies caterpillars shared a common ancestor. All the species are included in these two clades, except Catopsilia pomona. This species is under the family Pieridae, and the phylogenetic position of Pieridae compared to other butterfly families is ambiguous, necessitating additional research to resolve this issue. The study demonstrated the general applicability of DNA barcoding for rapidly and accurately distinguishing butterfly species, even when using larval stages, as in the present study. Furthermore, it may disclose a higher taxonomic hierarchy of butterfly families. Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2023, 8(3), 49-55

Diversity Analysis and Dry Preservation of Butterflies to Understand Future Strategies in CGU Campus, Odisha, India

Butterflies are excellent markers of environmental evaluation because of their sensitive nature and changes in butterflies’ habitats have a direct impact on them. Increasing urbanization may have catastrophic repercussions on both regional and global levels by causing habitat loss. The current study was conducted from January to April during the morning and afternoon hours of the year, 2023 in the State of Odisha within the campus of C.V Raman Global University to explore the diversity of butterflies and ways towards the sustainable maintenance of butterfly species over the long term. Altogether, 108 individuals and 17 butterfly species belonging to 3 families, Nymphalidae, Pieridae, and Papilionidae were documented. Nymphalidae, one of the three families, was found to have the most diverse number of species, 11 (64.72%), followed by Pieridae with 4 species (23.52%), and Papilionidae with only 2 species (11.76%). An index of diversity (H’) for the butterfly family Nymphalidae is 1.944327 and Evenness is 0.810847 indicating the highest level of diversity and for the Papilionidae family Shannon diversity index is 0.529706 and Evenness is 0.764205 which shows the lowest level of diversity. The current study also suggests sustainable maintenance steps for the butterfly population on the campus.

STRUKTUR KOMUNITAS KUPU-KUPU (ORDO: LEPIDOPTERA) DI KOTA PALEMBANG SEBAGAI SUMBANGAN MATERI PADA MATA KULIAH ENTOMOLOGI

Butterflies are useful as consumers in the food chain, bioindicators, pollinators and animal food. The purpose of writing this article is to inform the structure of the butterfly community in Palembang as a material contribution to the Entomology course. The location of this research includes residential areas, shops, offices, terminals and stadiums in Palembang. The location of the butterfly sample is determined by purposive sampling. The collection of butterfly samples was carried out with roaming techniques as much as 4 times per location. The results of the study found 5 families of butterflies in Palembang. The highest to lowest percentage of families were Nymphalidae (45.7%), Pieridae (24.0%), Hesperiidae (11.6%), Lycaenidae (9.3%) and Papilionidae (9.3%). The highest percentage of individuals was found in the Jakabaring stadium (42%) followed by Bomm Baru offices (39%), Musi 2 housing (11%), Plaju shops (8%) and Karyajaya terminal (0%). The family Pieridae is found in two locations, namely Boom Baru offices (35.29%) and Musi 2 housing (57.14%). The Nymphalidae families are found in Jakabaring stadium (60%), Plaju shops (60%) and Musi 2 housing 42.82%). The conclusion that the structure of the butterfly community in Palembang found 129 butterfly individuals, 23 species and 5 butterfly families. The highest percentage of butterfly families in Palembang is Nymphalidae and the lowest is Lycaenidae and Papilionidae. The locations where the number of individuals and the number of butterfly families are the Jakabaring stadium and the Boom Baru offices.

Butterfly Diversity in Kakrebihar Forest Area, Birendranagar, Surkhet, Nepal

Butterfly diversity changes with habitat and meteorological factors. They are facing threats due to many environmental and anthropogenic causes so need their diversity and status investigation to initiate conservation programs. The butterfly diversity study was conducted at Kakrebihar protected forest, the first government protected forest, during January to December 2021. The data was collected using Ocular Point Observation Method. Capture and release method along with photography was used for butterfly identification. Total of 431 individuals of 33 species of butterflies were recorded belonging to 24 genera and 7 families. Among recorded families of butterflies, Nymphalidae was dominant family followed by family Hisperiidae. Among recorded butterfly species, 17 species were very common, 15 were common and one was rare. The total butterfly diversity and evenness were recorded to be high in the study area. 
 The butterfly diversity was found to be high during post-monsoon season followed by monsoon and pre-monsoon season and its lowest during winter season.

Mitogenomes of Eight Nymphalidae Butterfly Species and Reconstructed Phylogeny of Nymphalidae (Nymphalidae: Lepidoptera).

The Nymphalidae family of cosmopolitan butterflies (Lepidoptera) comprises approximately 7200 species found on all continents and in all habitats. However, debate persists regarding the phylogenetic relationships within this family. In this study, we assembled and annotated eight mitogenomes of Nymphalidae, constituting the first report of complete mitogenomes for this family. Comparative analysis of 105 mitochondrial genomes revealed that the gene compositions and orders were identical to the ancestral insect mitogenome, except for Callerebia polyphemus trnV being before trnL and Limenitis homeyeri having two trnL genes. The results regarding length variation, AT bias, and codon usage were consistent with previous reports on butterfly mitogenomes. Our analysis indicated that the subfamilies Limenitinae, Nymphalinae, Apaturinae, Satyrinae, Charaxinae, Heliconiinae, and Danainae are monophyletic, while the subfamily the subfamily Cyrestinae is polyphyletic. Danainae is the base of the phylogenetic tree. At the tribe level, Euthaliini in Limenitinae; Melitaeini and Kallimini in Nymphalinae; Pseudergolini in Cyrestinae; Mycalesini, Coenonymphini, Ypthimini, Satyrini, and Melanitini in Satyrinae; and Charaxini in Charaxinae are regarded as monophyletic groups. However, the tribe Lethini in Satyrinae is paraphyletic, while the tribes Limenitini and Neptini in Limenitinae, Nymphalini and Hypolimni in Nymphalinae, and Danaini and Euploeini in Danainae are polyphyletic. This study is the first to report the gene features and phylogenetic relationships of the Nymphalidae family based on mitogenome analysis, providing a foundation for future studies of population genetics and phylogenetic relationships within this family.

Comparative mitogenomic and evolutionary analysis of Lycaenidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera): Potential association with high-altitude adaptation.

Harsh environments (e.g., hypoxia and cold temperatures) of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau have a substantial influence on adaptive evolution in various species. Some species in Lycaenidae, a large and widely distributed family of butterflies, are adapted to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Here, we sequenced four mitogenomes of two lycaenid species in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and performed a detailed comparative mitogenomic analysis including nine other lycaenid mitogenomes (nine species) to explore the molecular basis of high-altitude adaptation. Based on mitogenomic data, Bayesian inference, and maximum likelihood methods, we recovered a lycaenid phylogeny of [Curetinae + (Aphnaeinae + (Lycaeninae + (Theclinae + Polyommatinae)))]. The gene content, gene arrangement, base composition, codon usage, and transfer RNA genes (sequence and structure) were highly conserved within Lycaenidae. TrnS1 not only lacked the dihydrouridine arm but also showed anticodon and copy number diversity. The ratios of non-synonymous substitutions to synonymous substitutions of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) were less than 1.0, indicating that all PCGs evolved under purifying selection. However, signals of positive selection were detected in cox1 in the two Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau lycaenid species, indicating that this gene may be associated with high-altitude adaptation. Three large non-coding regions, i.e., rrnS-trnM (control region), trnQ-nad2, and trnS2-nad1, were found in the mitogenomes of all lycaenid species. Conserved motifs in three non-coding regions (trnE-trnF, trnS1-trnE, and trnP-nad6) and long sequences in two non-coding regions (nad6-cob and cob-trnS2) were detected in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau lycaenid species, suggesting that these non-coding regions were involved in high-altitude adaptation. In addition to the characterization of Lycaenidae mitogenomes, this study highlights the importance of both PCGs and non-coding regions in high-altitude adaptation.

The Impact of the 2018 Kerala Floods on Butterfly Diversity and Abundance in the Kollam District of India

Kerala experienced flooding in August 2018 as actual rainfall there exceeded expected rainfall. The current study was carried out in Kerala, India's Kollam district, between September 2018 and August 2019. The survey was carried out at four sites, namely hilly areas, wetlands, plains and homestead vegetation. In the current study, 72 butterfly species from five families were identified. The family Nymphalidae is the dominant butterfly family with 38 species, followed by Lycaenidae with 12 species, Papilionidae with 10 species, Pieridae with eight species and Hespiridae with four species. Of these, six butterfly species were very common, 23 species were common and 21 species were occasional, 19 species were rare and three species were very rare. Various diversity indices such as the Berger-Parker index, Margalef index, Simpson index -λ, Simpson index -D, Simpson index -Dr, Shannon index and Pielou index are calculated. Environmental impoverishment will greatly affect the survival of these beautiful creatures as they are very sensitive to changes in the environment.

Differential algebra methods applied to continuous abacus generation and bifurcation detection: application to periodic families of the Earth–Moon system

The return of human space missions to the Moon puts the Earth–Moon system (EMS) at the center of attention. Hence, studying the periodic solutions to the circular restricted three-body problem (CR3BP) is crucial to ease transfer computations, find new solutions, or to better understand these orbits. This work proposes a novel continuation method of periodic families using differential algebra (DA) mapping. We exploit DA with automatic control of the truncation error to represent each family of periodic orbits as a set 2D Taylor polynomial maps. These maps guarantee the access to any point of the family without any numerical propagation, providing a continuous abacus. When applied to the halo family at $$L_1$$ and $$L_2$$ , the planar Lyapunov at $$L_1$$ and $$L_2$$ , the distant retrograde orbit (DRO) family, and the butterfly family, we show that the DA-based 2D mapping is asymptotically more efficient than point-wise methods by at least two orders of magnitude, with controlled accuracy. To assist the computation of family of periodic orbits, we propose a novel DA-based automatic bifurcation detection algorithm that enables the continuous mapping of the family’s bifurcation criteria. A bifurcation study on the halo $$L_2$$ shows identical results as point-wise methods while highlighting two undocumented bifurcations.

Phylogenetic Relationship of Some Species of Genus Junonia Butterfly Using RAPD

The present investigation was carried out to find out similarities and diversities between four species of the genus Junonia belonging to Nymphalidae, the largest family of butterflies. The genomic DNA eluded from the species, J. lemonias, J. alamana, J. hierta and J. orithiya were screened by nine universal primers OPA-1, OPA-2, OPA-3, OPA-4, OPA-5, OPP-9, OPP-18, OPN-17, OPN-16 through RAPD - PCR. Primer OPN-17 did not produce any bands, whereas, the discrete banding pattern was observed in the remaining 8 primers. Primer OPP-18 distinctly highlights only species-specific bands ranging below 200 base pairs. Primer OPA-2 that produced significant banding patterns was taken into consideration for further analysis. The dendrogram was constructed by using binary data interpreted from the RAPD gel image. Two clades were obtained, where in one clade taxa J. hierta and J. lemonias cluster as sister taxa, and in the other clade taxa J. alamana and J. orithiya cluster as sister taxa. The investigation was supported by the Jaccard similarity and distance indices matrix and Principal component analysis. The interpretation from obtained dendrogram and distance matrix reveals that there is closeness within two species in their genetic makeup, whereas some genetic characters are expressed as species-specific. Henceforth, these patterns produced by respective primers can be considered as diagnostic bands and may contribute to molecular markers for Junonia species identification. Thus, in related evolutionary studies whenever be under investigation these markers will play a pivotal role in concluding the direction of evolution.

Phylogenetic implications based on an ultrastructural study with emphasis on the tracheal system of the compound eyes of three species of nymphalid butterflies

Compound eyes are the prominent visual organs of insects and can provide valuable information for the reconstruction of insect phylogeny. Although the largest butterfly family (Nymphalidae) has been well defined, the infrafamilial phylogenetic relationships remain controversial hitherto. In the present study the ultrastructure of the compound eyes of three nymphalids Neptis beroe, Childrena zenobia, and Palaeonympha opalina was investigated using light and transmission electron microscopy in an attempt to seek potentially important phylogenetic characters. The compound eyes of the nymphalids share a tracheal system in a “1–4−8” branching pattern. The eight tracheal subbranches exhibit distinct distribution patterns along the basal retinula cell as follows: the tracheal subbranches of Palaeonympha opaline are close to the rhabdom in the distance from the distalmost part of the basal retinula cell to the rhabdom end, while those of N. beroe and C. zenobia are on the periphery of the retinula along almost the whole basal retinula cell and become close to the rhabdom just at the proximal end of the basal retinula cell. The tracheal structure of the three nymphalids is discussed for their potential phylogenetic implications.

Diversity of butterflies across three land use types of Chebera Churchura National Park and its surroundings, Southwestern Ethiopia

Understanding and identifying butterfly species in various land uses serves a crucial eco-logical function in protecting biodiversity and improving environmental policy decisions. However, such a study on the diversity of butterflies from different land use types in and around Chebera Churchura Na-tional Park, southwestern Ethiopia, is extremely lacking. Thus, the present study aimed to quantify the species richness and abundance of butterflies in the Chebera Churchura National Park and its surroundings, which are prioritized for their conservation. Data was collected from January 2021 to June 2021 following the line transect method in the three habitat types using a standard insect net. In total, 2118 individuals representing 79 species and 38 genera belonging to five families were recorded. The Nymphalidae were the most dominant butterfly family, accounting for 45 species (57%) of the total butterflies observed, while the Heaspariidae contributed the least. Among the 79 species, 9 were very common, 32 were common, 37 were rare, and 1 was very rare. Based on butterfly species richness and composition, riverine forest had the greatest diversity and abundance with 65 species and 1028 individuals, and the least species composition was recorded in mosaic habitat with 26 species and 350 individuals, and the difference in diversity was significant. The study region was generally found to be rich in the diversity and abundance of butterflies in all three forms of land use. However, the study area is currently becoming an investment hub, and many road development projects are being planned. Ongoing human activities will devastate and harm the richness, abundance, and diversity of butterfly species. As a result, such human-induced activities need to be carefully studied to protect biodiversity.

A Checklist Of Butterflies (Order: Lepidoptera) In South-western Sarawak

A total of 268 butterfly specimens, 46 species belonging to 27 genera of butterflies in three families, namely Papilionidae, Pieridae and Nymphalidae were recorded from March to October, 2018 in the study. The butterfly species were collected from eight villages in Lundu and Sematan, Sarawak. Aerial nets were used to collect the butterfly species in the residential areas. Nymphalidae with 23 species (50%) under 16 genera represented the most diverse butterfly family from the survey area. The present study was undertaken to create a baseline database of butterfly species in south western Sarawak. Hence, these butterflies were identified and documented as a first guide for future management and conservation of Insecta in this region.

An updated list of butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) of two Guatemalan seasonally dry forests.

Guatemala has a great diversity of butterflies, although there have been few intensive surveys on Lepidoptera in the country so far. We present an updated list of 218 species in 149 genera, 19 subfamilies, and six families of butterflies sampled at two seasonally dry forests in the Salamá and Motagua valleys in central and eastern Guatemala, by integrating new data from field surveys conducted in 2014-2021 into our previously published data (Yoshimoto et al. 2018, 2019), with Amblyscirteselissaelissa Godman, 1900, Repensflorus (Godman, 1900), and Niconiadesnikko Hayward, 1948 (Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae) as new country records. We collected a hairstreak species, Chalybshassan (Stoll, 1790) (Lycaenidae: Theclinae), at the Motagua Valley site, representing the second record for Guatemala since the early 20th century, after we rediscovered it at the Salamá Valley site in 2011 and 2012 (Yoshimoto and Salinas-Gutiérrez 2015). Nymphalidae and Hesperiidae had larger numbers of species than the other four families at both sites. In Pieridae and Nymphalidae, species composition was similar between the sites, whereas in Lycaenidae, Riodinidae, and Papilionidae it differed more greatly between the sites. These results confirm the relatively high lepidopteran diversity of Guatemalan dry forests, noteworthy for the small areas that comprise the study sites, and represent marked similarities and differences in butterfly fauna and phenology within these forests.