Butterfly diversity in Kolkata, India: An appraisal for conservation management

An appraisal of butterfly species diversity was made using Kolkata, India as a model geographical area. Random sampling of rural, suburban, and urban sites in and around Kolkata metropolis revealed the presence of 96 butterfly species, dominated by Lycaenidae (31.25%) over Nymphalidae (28.13%), Hesperiidae (18.75%), Pieridae (12.50%), and Papilionidae (9.38%). Suburban sites accounted for 96 species, followed by rural (81 species) and urban (53 species) over the study period. The relative abundance of the butterflies varied with the site, month, and family significantly. It is apparent that the urban areas of Kolkata can sustain diverse butterfly species which includes species of requiring conservation effort. Considering the landscape of Kolkata, steps to enhance urban greening should be adopted to maintain butterfly diversity and sustain the ecosystem services derived from them.