Butterflies Composition Midst Human Modified and Managed Agro-Climatic Habitats of Mysore, Karnataka, India

The systematic field survey was conducted at managed agro-climatic habitats in Mysore city during 2022 by employing various standard methods to record the butterfly species composition and diversity. Total 89 butterfly species which belong to 44 genera in five families namely: Hesperiidae (8 species), Lycaenidae (22 species), Nymphalidae (35 species), Papilionidae (11 species) and Pieridae (13 species) were recorded with per cent occurrence 12.9, 24.2, 35.5, 11.3 and 16.1 respectively. Of all, Nymphalidae family members were more predominant compared to other families. Interestingly, commonly occurring butterfly species were 90.6 and 100% respectively in urban and rural human-modified habitats. The uncommonly occurring butterfly species were found only 9.4% in urban habitat. The diversity indices such as dominance, Shannon, Simpson(1-D), Equitability, Evenness, Berger Parker, Fisher alpha, Margalef and Menhinick indices revealed quite interesting values and indicated habitat specificity of butterfly species midst urban and rural habitats of Mysore district. Surprisingly, the biodiversity profile indicated the unique distribution and species composition in human modified habitats in urban and rural environment. Thus, present study revealed that butterfly species composition is habitat specific and offer congenial, undisturbed habitats with good flora even midst urban and rural agro-climatic conditions for the normal survival. Monitoring of locally available butterfly species and their diversity midst urban and rural environment is need of the day. Investigations are initiated and results of such part of simple investigations are presented in this communication to encourage biodiversity management and the importance of butterflies in the present context. Further, inventorying and monitoring the locally existing butterfly fauna could help reveal the ecological patterns and process that occur midst fast growing urban centers. It is need of the hour in contemporary times and to be attended for development of urban biodiversity and to frame conservation strategies.