Assessing Butterfly Diversity at Bodalkasa Dam at Gondia District, Vidarbha Region, Maharashtra

Butterflies are vital pollinators and ecological indicators, maintaining overall health of the ecosystems. The present study was undertaken on butterfly diversity in an arboretum located at Bodalkasa Dam, in Gondia district of Maharashtra state, India. The survey was conducted from March 2018 to March 2019. The survey revealed total 25 species of Nymphalidae, 7, Papilionidae, 12 of Pieridae, and 21 species of Lycaenidae. Among them 67.69% were categorized as Common, 23.07% as Occasional, and 9.23% as Rare. The findings indicated importance of conserving a wide range of indigenous butterfly species within the study area. Additionally, studying butterfly diversity can serve as an indirect measure of plant diversity, as butterflies rely directly on plants.