Jyoti Antil, Prashant Tripathi and Amita Kanaujia
Abstract
Research on entomofauna is essential for assessing ecosystem health and understanding the impacts of anthropogenic activities on natural resources. The present study represents a preliminary effort toward comprehensive documentation of butterfly diversity in Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary, Eastern Terai, Uttar Pradesh, India. The study evaluated butterfly diversity, local conservation status, relative abundance, and seasonal variation across five families - Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae, Hesperiidae, and Papilionidae- during 2022â2023. A total of 5,271 individual butterflies belonging to 103 species were recorded. Seasonal diversity patterns revealed maximum butterfly diversity during the monsoon season. Among the recorded families, Nymphalidae exhibited the highest species richness with 42 (40.77%) species, whereas Papilionidae was represented by only seven (6.7%) species. The study documented 15 legally protected species (14.5%) and four rare species (3.8%). Additionally, 37 species were recorded for the first time in the Eastern Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, while 27 species constituted recent distributional records for the region. The estimated Shannon Diversity Index (H2 = 4.12) indicated high species richness and evenness, reflecting a relatively well-balanced ecosystem. The present study provides important baseline data for this understudied Terai landscape and contributes significantly to the understanding of butterfly diversity and distribution patterns in the region. Further investigations focusing on host plant associations, habitat preferences, and long-term population monitoring are necessary to better understand the ecological requirements and conservation needs of butterfly communities in the area.