Butterfly species richness and diversity in rural and urban areas of Sirajganj, Bangladesh

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Sheikh Muhammad Shaburul Imam
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2641-6672
Amit Kumer Neogi
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2488-7884
M. Ziaur Rahman
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6987-8186
M. Sabbir Hasan
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7430-4686

Abstract

An appraisal of butterfly species diversity study was conducted in four selected parts of Sirajganj District, Bangladesh, as a part of an ecological research.  The study was conducted from March 2015 to April 2016.  A total of 19,343 butterflies belonging to five families and 12 subfamilies was recorded.  A random sampling of forest, riverside rural, and urban areas in Sirajganj District revealed the presence of 65 butterfly species, dominated by Lycaenidae (37%) over Nymphalidae (33%) followed by Pieridae (19%), Hesperiidae (7%), and Papilionidae (4%).  Butterfly fauna in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Jamuna Ecopark (BJEP), compared with the percentage of other study sites, was very high (Hs= 4.03) and the percentage of hedge species was relatively higher (45%) than that of improved grassland and forest interior species.  The relative abundance of the butterflies varied with the site, month, and family significantly. Considering the landscape of Sirajganj, steps to enhance riverside natural gardening should be adopted to maintain butterfly diversity and sustain the ecosystem services derived from them.


 

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Communications

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