Study on butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) of campus of University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir State
Aijaz Ahmad Qureshi*1, Deen Mohammad Bhat2, Ramesh Chander Bhagat3 and M. N. Azim
P. G. Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar-190006, J&K State Present addresses of authors: *1Corresponding author: Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora, Pulwama-192122 (India) Email: draijazphd@gmail.com 2Government College for Women, M. A. Road, Srinagar, Kashmir, J&K (India) 3P.O.BOX No.1250, G.P.O, Residency Road, Srinagar, Kashmir-190001 (India)
ABSTRACT
Butterflies are most interesting groups of insects. They play an important role in pollination and being highly sensitive to change in the environment, are considered as indicators of environmental quality. The University of Kashmir situated on the outskirts of Srinagar city at Hazratbal with Dal Lake on one side and Nageen Lake on the other, is an apex institution of higher education in the Kashmir division of Jammu & Kashmir State. The campus has a famous Chinar Bagh and a botanical garden called Kashmir University Botanical Garden (KUBG), having an internationally recognized herbarium, Kashmir University Herbarium (KASH). As compared to floral wealth, the faunal components of the campus are not well documented. In order to document the faunal components, for the first time a four year baseline field study was conducted from 2004-2007 in the campus. The present preliminary field observations revealed presence of 25 species of butterflies distributed under 7 families and 23 genera. They include Danaidae (1 genus and 1 species), Hesperiidae (1 genus and 1 species), Libytheidae (1 genus and 1 species), Lycaenidae (4 genera, 4 species), Nymphalidae (11 genera, 12 species), Papilionidae (1 genus and 1 species) and Pieridae (4 genera, 5 species) from the capmus. The butterfly activity was observed from late February to late November. The highest abundance was in summer season (June-August) whereas least was in winter (December-February). Nymphalidae was the most dominant family followed by Pieridae and Lycaenidae. Flight period of each species is also given in the present investigations.