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The Beats of Natural Sciences Issue 2 (June) Vol. 2 (2015)
M. Saha et al Article No. 2 Page 1
Butterfly Diversity of Berhampore Girls’ College
Campus, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India: A
preliminary Assessment
Meghna Sahaa, Indra Sarkar
b, Labani Barik
b, Rudra Prasad Das
c
and Santi Ranjan Deyd*
a Department of Biological Science, Presidency University, Kolkata
bDepartment of Zoology, Berhampore Girls’ College, Murshidabad
cWest Bengal Biodiversity Board, Kolkata
dDepartment of Zoology, Rammohan College, Kolkata
Date of Submission: 15
th June, 2015 Date of Acceptance: 19
th June, 2015
Abstract
India has one of the richest and most diverse butterfly faunas of the world.
The relative ease of observation, an existing knowledge of their natural
history, and the high sensitivity of butterflies toward changes in the
environment are the factors that make them so-called bio-indicators of the
area. Institutional campuses with undisturbed natural vegetation and
seasonal flowering plantation provide potential habitat for butterfly
population as they are usually devoid of any developmental activities and
pollution. If the landscaping and maintenance of campus gardens are
carefully planned, the diversity of butterflies may increase in the college
campus providing a rich ground for butterfly conservation as well as for
research. Berhampore Girls’ College of Mursidabad district, West Bengal,
India has a lush green campus in the heart of the city, Berhampore. In the
present survey, preliminary assessment and documentation of the
butterflies in the college campus was carried out.
Keywords: Butterfly diversity, Berhampore Girls’ College, Murshidabad,
West Bengal
1. Introduction
The Beats of Natural Sciences Issue 2 (June) Vol. 2 (2015)
M. Saha et al Article No. 2 Page 2
Butterflies are most charismatic group among the diverse insect communities. Their size
varies from the tiny jewels like blues, to the gorgeous bird like wings with a wing span as
great as 8 inches. Their glowing colours and delicate flickering movements catch and charm
the eyes. There are about 17,200 species of butterflies in the world.1 India has one of the
richest and most diverse butterfly faunas of the world with 1501 species of which 107 are
Papilionids (swallowtails), 109 Pierids (whites and yellows), 521 Nymphalids (brush-footed
butterflies), 443 Lycaenids (blues) and 321 are Hesperids (skippers).2,3
The diversity of
species depends on factors like the climate and topography of the region.4,5,6
Butterflies are important element of ecosystem mainly because of their pollination
activities.7,8
Moreover, they are considered as good ecological indicators because of their
sensitivity toward the environmental and climatic changes.9,10
The relative ease of
observation, an existing knowledge of their natural history, and the high sensitivity of these
organisms toward changes in the environment are the factors that make them so-called bio-
indicators of the area.
Increased urban features, including roads, buildings and lawns, correspond with
decreases in butterfly species richness, diversity and abundance.11-14
The reductions in amount
and quality of natural habitat associate with urban development negatively affect nature
biodiversity.15
Urban development is expected to have a deleterious impact on butterfly
populations because the construction of buildings and concrete structures replaces or reduces
the area of natural and semi-natural habitats. Moreover the quality of residual habitats is also
expected to be adversely affected by various forms of pollution.16
Apart from the habitat loss
the widespread use of insecticides has drastically reduced the numbers of butterflies. The
clouds of butterflies that used to fly past as one walked through wild places can no longer be
taken for granted.
Biological diversity is now increasingly recognized as a vital parameter to assess
global and local environmental changes and sustainability of developmental activities.
However, a systematic study of invertebrates particularly butterflies has not been carried out
from most urban areas of West Bengal. It helps as a decision making tool for conservation and
management of butterflies. So, it is now important to prepare a zone-wise database/checklist
of the butterfly diversity of our country and in particular our state, West Bengal.17,18,19
Institutional campuses with undisturbed natural vegetation and seasonal flowering
plantation provide potential habitat for butterfly population as they are usually devoid of any
developmental activities and pollution.20,21
The Berhampore Girls’ College campus in
Mursidabad district, West Bengal, India is large, with a size of 523560.20 sq. ft. located in the
heart of the Berhampore city. In the present survey, preliminary assessment and
documentation of the butterfly diversity of Berhampore Girls’College was carried out.
2. Materials and Methods
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M. Saha et al Article No. 2 Page 3
The survey has been carried out for a period of two years (2013-2014). The roads inside the
college campus were used as fixed transects. Weekly observations were carried out during
morning hours (08:00 hrs to 10:00 hrs) and butterflies were recorded based on direct sighting.
Some small butterflies were caught using butterfly net and were observed closely after placing
them in clear glass container. Then they were released to the same habitat from where they
were captured. Photographs of butterfly species in natural habitats were also taken for further
references. Later the butterflies were identified from photographs by using standard
literatures.22-25
Butterflies were broadly categorized into four groups namely – abundant,
common, uncommon and rare based on their sighting records and relative abundance.26
3. Results
The common butterflies found in Berhampore Girls’ College campus are listed below with
their relative abundance.
Species Common Name Relative
Abundance
I. Family: Papilionidae
a. Sub-family: Papilioninae
1 Graphium doson (C.&R. Felder) Common Jay Uncommon
2 Graphium agamemnon (Linnaeus) Tailed Jay Uncommon
3 Chilasa clytia (Linnaeus) Common Mime Rare
4 Papilio polytes Linnaeus Common Mormon Abundant
5 Papilio demoleus Linnaeus Lime Butterfly Uncommon
6 Atrophaneura aristolochiae (Fabricius) Common Rose Common
II. Family: Pieridae
a. Sub-family: Coliadinae
7 Eurema hecabe (Linnaeus) Common Grass Yellow Common
8 Catopsilia pomona (Fabricius) Common Emigrant Common
9 Catopsilia pyranthe (Linnaeus) Mottled Emigrant Common
b. Sub-family: Pierinae
10 Pareronia valeria (Cramer) Common Wanderer Uncommon
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M. Saha et al Article No. 2 Page 4
11 Cepora nerissa (Fabricius) Common Gull Uncommon
12 Appias libythea (Fabricius) Striped Albatross Uncommon
13 Delias eucharis (Drury) Common Jezebel Abundant
14 Leptosia nina (Fabricius) Psyche Common
III. Family: Nymphalidae
a. Sub-family: Danainae
15 Danaus chrysippus (Linnaeus) Plain Tiger Abundant
16 Euploea core (Cramer) Common Crow Abundant
b. Sub-family: Satyrinae
17 Melanitis leda (Linnaeus) Common Evening Brown Abundant
18 Mycalesis perseus (Fabricius) Common Bushbrown Common
19 Ypthima huebneri Kirby Common Four-ring Abundant
c. Sub-family: Heliconiinae
19 Phalanta phalantha (Drury) Common Leopard Uncommon
d. Sub-family: Limenitae
21 Moduza procris (Cramer) Commander Common
22 Neptis hylas (Linnaeus) Common Sailer Uncommon
23 Euthalia aconthea (Cramer) Common Baron Uncommon
e. Sub-family: Biblidinae
24 Ariadne ariadne (Linnaeus) Angled Castor Common
25 Ariadne merione (Cramer) Common Castor Abundant
f. Sub-family: Nymphalinae
26 Junonia atlites (Linnaeus) Grey Pansy Uncommon
27 Junonia almana (Linnaeus) Peacock Pansy Common
28 Junonia lemonias (Linnaeus) Lemon Pansy Common
29 Hypolimnas bolina (Linnaeus) Great Eggfly Uncommon
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IV. Family: Lycaenidae
a. Sub-family: Theclinae
30 Rathinda amor (Fabricius) Monkey Puzzle Uncommon
b. Sub-family: Polyommatinae
31 Castalius rosimon (Fabricius) Common Pierrot Common
32 Tarucus nara Kollar Rounded Pierrot Uncommon
33 Zizeeria karsandra (Moore) Dark Grass Blue Common
34 Pseudozizeeria maha (Kollar) Pale Grass Blue Uncommon
35 Zizula hylax (Fabricius) Tiny Grass Blue Uncommon
36 Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius) Gram Blue Uncommon
37 Chilades pandava (Horsfield) Plains Cupid Common
38 Chilades lajus (Stoll) Lime Blue Uncommon
V. Family: Hesperiidae
a. Sub-family: Hesperiinae
39 Borbo cinnara (Wallace) Rice Swift Rare
Graphium doson (C.&R. Felder) Graphium agamemnon (Linnaeus)
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M. Saha et al Article No. 2 Page 6
Chilasa clytia (Linnaeus) Papilio polytes Linnaeus
Papilio demoleus Linnaeus Atrophaneura aristolochiae (Fabricius)
Eurema hecabe (Linnaeus) Catopsilia pomona (Fabricius)
Catopsilia pyranthe (Linnaeus) Pareronia valeria (Cramer)
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Cepora nerissa (Fabricius) Appias libythea (Fabricius)
Delias eucharis (Drury) Leptosia nina (Fabricius)
Danaus chrysippus (Linnaeus) Euploea core (Cramer)
Melanitis leda (Linnaeus) Mycalesis perseus (Fabricius)
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Ypthima huebneri Kirby Phalanta phalantha (Drury)
Moduza procris (Cramer) Neptis hylas (Linnaeus)
Euthalia aconthea (Cramer) Ariadne ariadne (Linnaeus)
Ariadne merione (Cramer) Junonia atlites (Linnaeus)
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Junonia almana (Linnaeus) Junonia lemonias (Linnaeus)
Hypolimnas bolina (Linnaeus) - female Hypolimnas bolina (Linnaeus) - male
Rathinda amor (Fabricius) Castalius rosimon (Fabricius)
Tarucus nara Kollar Zizeeria karsandra (Moore)
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Pseudozizeeria maha (Kollar) Zizula hylax (Fabricius)
Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius) Chilades pandava (Horsfield)
Chilades lajus (Stoll) Borbo cinnara (Wallace)
4. Discussion
Recent studies have highlighted the importance of institutional campuses as a preferred
habitat for butterflies.27
Among the insects, butterflies occupy a vital position in the ecosystem
and their occurrence and diversity are considered as good indicators of the health of any given
terrestrial biotope.28,29
In Berhampore Girls’ College campus 39 species of butterflies
belonging to five families were found more or less throughout the year. They reflect a healthy
ecosystem patch in the heart of the city. If the landscaping and maintenance of campus
gardens are carefully planned, the diversity of butterflies may increase in the college campus
The Beats of Natural Sciences Issue 2 (June) Vol. 2 (2015)
M. Saha et al Article No. 2 Page 11
providing a rich ground for butterfly conservation as well as for research.20,30
Creating
habitats for butterflies would help in conserving not only butterflies but also other insects,
birds and small mammals. From the conservation point of view, some butterflies play a very
important role as an ecological indicator and vital role of plant propagation as vectors of
cross-pollination. Therefore, further research on the biodiversity of butterflies with special
reference to their host plants and other factor(s) that contribute to their distribution, diversity
and abundance may be investigated in future.
Acknowledgment: This study was supported by a grant from the West Bengal
Biodiversity Board (Deptt. of Environment, Govt. of West Bengal) to the corresponding
author. The author is also thankful to the Principal and subsequent Teacher-in-Charge,
Berhampore Girls’ College, Murshidabad for providing necessary facilities for conducting the
present research.
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22. W.H. Evans. The Identification of Indian Butterflies, Bombay Natural History
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