PHULSON DOLEY AND GITALEE BHUYAN
Abstract
Butterflies belong to the order Lepidoptera, and are one of the most fascinating and ecologically significant groups of insects often regarded as the flagship species. They are good bio-indicators of the ecosystem. This paper aims to review the diversity of butterflies in the Northeastern states of India. We studied several recently published and previously existing research papers with proper taxonomic identification and documentation across all states of the Northeastern India and recorded a total of six families. The highest species diversity was recorded in Manipur with 773 species, followed by Meghalaya with 357 species, Assam with 250 species, Tripura with 226 species, Nagaland with 182 species, Arunachal Pradesh with 158 species, while the least species diversity was found in Mizoram with 136 species. Nymphalidae was found to be the most dominant family with 866 species, followed by Lycaenidae with 466 species, Hesperidae with 382 species, Papilionoidea with 178 species, Pieridae with 165 species, whereas a Riodinidae was recorded with only 25 species. This review highlights the significance of butterfly diversity and the importance of preserving natural habitats of this region. The findings suggest that conservation efforts should focus on protecting habitats and promoting ecological balance of this region.