Butterfly species diversity and their floral preferences in the Rupa Wetland of Nepal. Issue 5 (3rd February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Subedi, Bandana; Stewart, Alyssa B.; Neupane, Bijaya; Ghimire, Sudha; Adhikari, Hari
• Is Part Of: Ecology and evolution. Volume 11:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 2086
• Page End: 2099
• Publication Date: 2021-02-03
• Subjects: corolla depth -- Lepidoptera -- nectar plants -- proboscis length -- species diversity; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; 577.05
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7177
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-7758

Abstract

Abstract: Floral attributes often influence the foraging choices of nectar‐feeding butterflies, given the close association between plants and these butterfly pollinators. The diversity of butterflies is known to a large extent in Nepal, but little information is available on the feeding habits of butterflies. This study was conducted along the periphery of Rupa Wetland from January to December 2019 to assess butterfly species diversity and to identify the factors influencing their foraging choices. In total, we recorded 1535 individuals of 138 species representing all six families. For our examination of butterfly–nectar plant interactions, we recorded a total of 298 individuals belonging to 31 species of butterfly visiting a total of 28 nectar plant species. Overall, total butterfly visitation was found to be significantly influenced by plant category (herbaceous preferred over woody), floral color (yellow white and purple preferred over pink), and corolla type (tubular preferred over nontubular). Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between the proboscis length of butterflies and the corolla tube length of flowers. Examining each butterfly family separately revealed that, for four of the families (Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, and Pieridae), none of the tested factors (flower color, plant category, and corolla type) were shown to significantly influence butterfly abundance at flowers. However, Hesperidae abundance was found to be significantly influenced by both flower color (with more butterflies observed at yellow flowers than purple) and flower type (with more butterflies observed at tubular flowers than nontubular flowers). Our results reveal that Rupa Lake is a suitable habitat for butterflies, providing valuable floral resources. Hence, further detailed studies encompassing all seasons, a greater variety of plants, and other influential factors in different ecological regions are fundamental for creating favorable environments to sustain important butterfly pollinators and help create balanced wetland ecosystems. Abstract : We assessed the number of butterfly species, their abundance, and their floral foraging behavior, from 28 linear transects (500 m long each) placed in a stratified and random manner throughout the study area. Five factors, that is, category of plant, flower color, corolla shape, corolla depth, and the proboscis length of butterfly species, were taken into account to assess the nectar plant choices of butterfly families. Moreover, species diversity at the family level, and overall, was determined through several indices.