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New Records of Butterflies and Their Species Diversity in Four Different Areas of Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

A T M F Islam
Institute of Food and Radiation Biology, Atomic Energy research Establishment, GPO Box-3787, Dhaka

M H Islam
Institute of Food and Radiation Biology, Atomic Energy research Establishment, GPO Box-3787, Dhaka

A S M Saifullah
Institute of Food and Radiation Biology, Atomic Energy research Establishment, GPO Box-3787, Dhaka

K Endo
Department of Physics, Biology and Informatics, Faculty of Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753, Japan

Akira Yamanaka
Department of Physics, Biology and Informatics, Faculty of Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753, Japan

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Field studies of butterflies were carried out in four different selected areas i.e. Krishnopur, AERE campus, Rajalak Farm and Horters (Part of JU campus) at Savar, Dhaka. Butterflies identified of those areas constituted 158 species belonging 10 families, 87 species of which are newly-recorded in Bangladesh. Numbers of species identified in each family reached 47 in Lycaenidae (30 newly recorded), 32 in Hesperiidae (22 new), 22 in Pieridae (11 new), 19 in Nymphalidae (6 new), 14 in Papilionidae (7 new), 14 in Saytridae (8 new), 5 in Danaidae (1 new), 3 in Riodinidae (1 new), 1 in Acraeidae and 1 newly recorded Amathusiidae. The maximum 130 species and the minimum 65 species were recorded in Krishnopur and Rajalak Farm, respectively. Almost all butterfly families were found to be dominant in Krishnopur. Among the total identified species, 35.44% belonged to very rare (VR) and 20.25% to rare (R) categories, whereas 12.18%, 12.03% and 13.29% species were very common (VC), common (C) and not rare (NR) categories, respectively. It may be that the numbers of butterfly species as well as their fauna vary greatly depending on the floral and ecological conditions in and around the study areas.

Keywords: Species, Diversity, Butterfly

Location: Savar, Dhaka.

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Pest Management

Commodity: Insects

Objectives:

To examine the diversity, dynamics, ecological status and migration of butterfly populations in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, which are changing with seasonal and habitat conditions of the area.

Methodology:

We selected study areas at Savar, the north-west suburbs of Dhaka City that vary in its vegetation characteristics. The meteorological conditions include a mean annual temperature of 30.5°C and a mean monthly rainfall of 215 mm. We selected the following four study areas (Area-1 to Area–4) in and around Savar. Krishnopur, located at about 4 km east-sides from Savar, spreads over 200 ha, in which there is a wide habitat range. This area, low disturbed by the human interference, is composed of mixed vegetation lands cultivating for fruit plants, timber plants, grasses, flowers and vegetables. Natural vegetation including small natural forests was mainly covered with weeds and bamboo bushes Campus, located at about 15 km north of Savar and beside the Dhaka-Jumuna bridge high way, spreads over 135 ha. Vegetation includes mixed type such as fruit plant, timber plant and flower gardens, grasses in addition to building areas for offices, residences and ponds. It is a low human disturbed area Horters (Part of JU Campus), situated at about 3 km north of Savar and by the Dhaka-Aricha road, spreads about 4 ha. Vegetation, mainly seedlings of fruit and flowering plants, are of mixed types. It is a high human disturbed area. Farm, situated at west side of the Savar bus-stand, spreads about 9 ha. Vegetation mostly consist of fruit and herb plants in addition to some areas cultivating for shrubs and vegetables. It is also a high human disturbed area. Butterflies were collected in each study area with handheld aerial sweep nets and killed immediately by pressing their thorax carefully for minimizing damages of the external organs (scales, legs and wing veins). They were identified using the specimen books “Butterflies in Thailand, Vol. 1-6 (Kurani & Pinratana, 1981, 1983, 1985; Pinratana & Eliot, 1982, 1996a, 1996b) and common English names (Wynter-Blyth, 1957). The butterflies were collected on sunny days of every month for three consecutive years from 2008 to 2010. Total numbers of days (or hours) shared for the field observations and collections of butterflies reached 144 days (ca. 576 hrs). Field observations and collections were made in between 10 am and 2 pm, when the butterflies used to be sunning in cool and cold seasons. The collected specimens were classified into one of the five categories as: very common (VC), common (C), not rare (NR), rare (R) and very rare (VR) following Tiple et al. (2006, 2007).

Source of Information: Univ. j. zool. Rajshahi Univ. Vol. 30, 2011 pp. 09-15 ISSN 1023-6104

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The maximum 130 species of butterflies were identified in Krishnopur, where the species diversity of butterflies may be supported by various types of environmental and vegetative conditions such as standing forests, grasslands and cultivating lands for agriculture. The minimum number of butterfly species (65 species) was recorded in Rajalak Farm, the environmental and vegetative conditions of which may not be congenial for supporting the diversity of butterfly species. The diversity of butterfly species or other organisms is supposed to depend on diversities of environmental and vegetative conditions, the damage of which seem to be accompanied by the contraction of species diversity. The present results may be useful to estimate the actual and transitional state of environmental and vegetative conditions in and around the study areas and to search a policy for conserving our natural resources on the development of industrial and residential activities.

Knowledge Management: Journal