A Preliminary Checklist of Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhophalocera) of Mendrelgang, Tsirang District, Bhutan
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Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 May 2014 | 6(5): 5755–5768 A preliminary checklist of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhophalocera) of Mendrelgang, Tsirang District, Bhutan 1 2 ISSN Irungbam Jatishwor Singh & Meenakshi Chib Communication Short Online 0974–7907 Print 0974–7893 1,2 Department of Science, Mendrelgang Middle Secondary School, Tsirang District 36001, Bhutan 1 [email protected] (corresponding author), 2 [email protected] OPEN ACCESS Abstract: The survey was conducted to prepare a preliminary checklist variety of forest types, from tropical evergreen forests to of butterflies of Mendrelgang, Bhutan. Butterflies were sampled from alpine meadows, which provide a vast range of habitat February 2012 to February 2013 to assess the species richness in a degraded forest patch of a sub-tropical broadleaf forest. This short- niches for butterflies (Wangdi et al. 2012). Evans (1932) term study recorded 125 species of butterflies in 78 genera from five identified 962 taxa of butterflies from northeastern India families. Of these, Sordid Emperor Apatura sordida Moore, Black- veined Sergeant Athyma ranga ranga Moore, Sullied Sailor Neptis from Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, soma soma Linnaeus, Blue Duke Euthalia durga durga Moore, Pea Blue Mizoram to northern Myanmar. Wynter-Blyth (1957) Lampides boeticus Linnaeus and Chocolate Albatross Appias lyncida listed 835 species of butterflies from northeastern India Cramer are listed in Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act (IWPA) 1972. This study provides the baseline data of butterfly species including Sikkim, Bhutan and Assam up to Chittangong. richness of Mendrelgang. However, there is paucity of information on butterflies of Bhutan. One estimate puts the range between 800– Keywords: Bhutan, butterfly, Schedule II, species richness, subtropical broadleaf forest, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. 900 species with the largest number being found in the sub-tropical zone of Bhutan (van der Poel & Wangchuk 2007). Previous studies on the butterfly fauna of Bhutan Bhutan forms a part of the eastern Himalaya (e.g., Bingham 1905; Talbot 1939, 1947; Wynter-Blyth Biodiversity Hotspot which covers parts of Nepal, Bhutan, 1957) are not comprehensive. More recent studies by the northeastern Indian states of West Bengal, Sikkim, van der Poel & Wangchuk (2007), Singh (2012), Wangdi Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh, southeastern Tibet et al. (2012), Wangdi & Sherub (2012), have indicated (Autonomous Region of China), and northern Myanmar the diversity and uniqueness of butterflies found in (http://www.conservation.org/where/priority_areas/ Bhutan. However, there are no records of butterflies hotspots/asia-pacific/Himalaya/Pages/default.aspx). from Mendrelgang in Tsirang District. The nearest Bhutan, along with northeastern India, is the meeting records comprise the study carried out by Singh (2012) place of the central Asia, and Chinese subdivision of in the lowland forests of the Sankosh River catchment the palearctic region and hence considered very rich lying below 200m in the western-most corner of this in terms of lepidopteran diversity. The country has a district. The present study therefore provides baseline DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3632.5755-68 | ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CEB70FB0-3B4E-40AD-AE2E-DC5C6CC9A70C Editor: Arthur Chung, Forest Research Centre, Sabah, Malaysia. Date of publication: 26 May 2014 (online & print) Manuscript details: Ms # o3632 | Received 22 May 2013 | Final received 12 April 2014 | Finally accepted 19 April 2014 Citation: Singh, I.J. & M. Chib (2014). A preliminary checklist of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhophalocera) of Mendrelgang, Tsirang District, Bhutan. Journal of Threat- ened Taxa 6(5): 5755-5768; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3675.5755-68 Copyright: © Singh & Chib 2014. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Funding: Self funded. Competing Interest: The authors declare no competing interests. Acknowledgements: The authors are highly thankful to Mr. Dorji Wangchuk, Ex-Principal, Mendrelgang Middle Secondary School for giving us permission to conduct the study. Sincere thanks to Mr. Peter Smetacek, Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal (India), Mr. Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi, Assam University, Silchar (India) and Mr. Saito Motoki, The Butterfly Society of Japan, Tokyo (Japan) for providing help during the identification of the specimens and their valuable suggestions. Thanks to Mr. Sonam Dorji, Mountainhawk Adventures (Thimphu, Bhutan) for providing photographs and Mr. Shikhin B. Kolhe, Ahmednagar College, Ahmednagar (Maharashtra, India) for corrections and suggestions during the preparation of manuscript. 5755 Butterflies of Mendrelgang, Bhutan Singh & Chib Image 1. Study area - Mendrelgang division, Bhutan data of the butterfly fauna of a part of Tsirang District. Smith (2006), van der Poel & Wangchuk (2007), Kehimkar (2008) and internet references (www.flutters.org; www. Study Area ifoundbutterflies.org). Photographs of species that were Mendrelgang is a division of Tsirang District, Bhutan still left unidentified or were taxonomically challenging situated at 27002’N & 90010’E (Image 1) between 700– were sent to Peter Smetacek, Butterfly Research Centre, 1750 m elevation, covering an area of about 15km2. The Bhimtal (India), Mr. Saito Motoki, The Butterfly Society region has a temperate climate with the temperature of Japan (BSJ), Tokyo (Japan) and Mr. Monsoon Jyoti ranging between 200C and 350C. The cold season Gogoi, Assam University, Silchar (India) for confirmation. extends from October to March, followed by summer season from April to June and rainy season from June to September (NSB 2010). The forest type found in this region is subtropical broad-leaf forest in the lower valley and mixed Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii, Sarg.) forest at higher altitude (Image 2). Material and Methods Butterfly fauna of Mendrelgang was surveyed during February 2012 to February 2013. The survey was done every Sunday between 10.00–16.00 hr on the forest trails, hill streams, near residential areas and open fields. The butterflies were photographed in their natural habitat. The specimens which were difficult to identify in the field were collected as voucher specimens using a hand net. Identifications were carried out with the help Image 2. Photograph showing degraded forest habitat along with of Evans (1932), Talbot (1947), photographic guides of agricultural land in study area, Mendrelgang. 5756 Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 May 2014 | 6(5): 5755–5768 Butterflies of Mendrelgang, Bhutan Singh & Chib Results and Discussion Fruhstorfer (Image 19): Many species were encountered April to November was found to be best months in the orange orchards and forest clearings from April for recording butterflies in Mendrelgang. Altogether, a to October in the study area. The species was very total of 125 species of butterflies were recorded (Images common in Bhutan and also reported from other parts 3–127). The recorded species belong to 78 genera of Bhutan (Singh 2012; van der Poel & Wangchuk 2007). representing five families and are illustrated in Appendix The habitat of the species is from Sikkim to Assam 1. The present study further appends 45 species of and northern Burma (Talbot 1947). The species is also butterflies to the known list of butterflies reported by van recorded from Nepal at 2,133.6m and is rare as per der Poel & Wangchuk (2007), Singh (2012), and Wangdi Gough (1935). et al. (2012, 2013). The most significant results were Lilacine Bushbrown Mycalesis francisca sanatana the sightings of Apatura sordida Moore, Athyma ranga Moore (Image 22): Many individuals were encountered ranga Moore, Neptis soma soma Linnaeus, Euthalia in October and November 2012 under the orange trees durga durga Moore, Lampides boeticus Linnaeus and and forest undergrowth. They show weak flight pattern Appias lyncida Cramer which were included in Schedule and are seen sipping exudes from the bark of orange II of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act (IWPA) 1972 but trees. The species occurs from Kulu-Burma and were none of the species are mentioned in the Forest Nature not rare (Evans 1927; Talbot 1947). However, the species and Conservation Act of Bhutan 1995 or the IUCN Red is distributed through Himachal Pradesh to Arunachal List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2010). The sightings Pradesh, northeastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, of rare species like Siren Hestina persimilis Westwood, Burma (Myanmar) and is not rare (Kehimkar 2008). Spotted Palmfly Elymnias malelas malelas Hewitson, Jungle Brown Orsotriaena medus medus Fabricius Straight-Banded Treebrown Lethe verma sintica (Image 24): One individual was photographed in Fruhstorfer, Blackvein Sergeant Athyma ranga ranga December 2012 near a forest stream at Mendrelgang Moore, Blue Duke Euthalia durga durga Moore, Scarce (1,179m). They remain in the shade and fly close to the White Commodore Sumalia zulema Doubleday, etc. ground. This species has been reported from subtropical shows the importance and the urgent need to protect lowland forests of Bhutan along the Sankosh River (118– the habitat of these species of butterflies in subtropical 220 m) (Singh 2012). The subspecies is distributed from broadleaf forest of Mendrelgang. Further notes on Nepal and Sikkim to