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Communication

Does the size of the butterfly enhance detection? Factors influencing butterfly detection in species inventory surveys

Anju Velayudhan, Ashokkumar Mohanarangan, George Chandy & S. Biju

26 March 2021 | Vol. 13 | No. 3 | Pages: 17950–17962 DOI: 10.11609/joꢁ.6596.13.3.17950-17962

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Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 March 2021 | 13(3): 17950–17962

PLATINUM OPEN ACCESS

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) hꢁps://doi.org/10.11609/joꢁ.6596.13.3.17950-17962 #6596 | Received 21 August 2020 | Final received 03 January 2021 | Finally accepted 24 February 2021

COMMUNICATION

Does the size of the buꢁerfly enhance detecꢀon?
Factors influencing buꢁerfly detecꢀon in species inventory surveys

Anju Velayudhan¹ , Ashokkumar Mohanarangan² , George Chandy³ & S. Biju⁴

^1,2,3 Center for Wildlife Studies, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala 673576, India.
⁴ Department of Livestock Producꢀon and Management, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Kerala 680651, India.
¹ [email protected], ² [email protected] (corresponding author), ³ [email protected], ⁴ [email protected]

Abstract: Buꢁerfly species’ abundance and factors influencing buꢁerfly detecꢀon in Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala was studied from April to June 2018. The survey was carried out on 15 tracks of 2-km lengths surveyed two ꢀmes resulꢀng in the sampling effort of 60km. A total of 141 species of buꢁerflies belonging to two orders, six families and 103 genera were observed during the study, of which 15 species were recorded as endemic. The majority of buꢁerfly species belonged to the families Nymphalidae and Lycanidae. The size of buꢁerflies varies significantly among families with the largest buꢁerflies recorded in Papilionidae and Nymphalidae and the smallest buꢁerflies from Hesperidae and Lycanidae. The factors that determine buꢁerfly detecꢀon during the count was determined using mulꢀple regression. The number of detecꢀons had a linear relaꢀon with abundance, size, and acꢀviꢀes of the buꢁerflies. The model was highly significant and explained 86.9% of the variaꢀon in the detecꢀon of buꢁerflies (F=407.8; df=3; p<0.000). Abundance had a primary influence on detecꢀon followed by the size and acꢀviꢀes of the buꢁerflies. Further studies on relaꢀve detectability of different species of buꢁerflies in the diversity and abundance esꢀmaꢀon would help in refining methods of assessment of buꢁerflies.

Keywords: Abundance, Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary, Hesperidae, Lepidoptera, Lycanidae, Nymphalidae

Editor: B.A. Daniel, Zoo Outreach Organisaꢀon, Coimbatore, India.

Date of publicaꢀon: 26 March 2021 (online & print)

Citaꢀon: Velayudhan, A., A. Mohanarangan, G. Chandy & S. Biju (2021). Does the size of the buꢁerfly enhance detecꢀon? Factors influencing buꢁerfly detecꢀon

in species inventory surveys. Journal of Threatened Taxa 13(3): 17950–17962. hꢁps://doi.org/10.11609/joꢁ.6596.13.3.17950-17962

Copyright: © Velayudhan et al. 2021. Creaꢀve Commons Aꢁribuꢀon 4.0 Internaꢀonal License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproducꢀon, and distribuꢀon of this arꢀcle in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publicaꢀon.

Funding: None.

Compeꢀng interests: The authors declare no compeꢀng interests. Author details: Anju Velayudhan (AV) has completed Post-Graduaꢀon in Wildlife Studies from KVASU-Centre for Wildlife Studies, Pookode, Wayanad. She is passionate about buꢁerflies and she has carried out studies on buꢁerfly species inventory surveys and the life cycle of buꢁerflies. Presently she has been preparing for higher studies. Ashokkumar Mohanarangan (MA) has completed his Masters and Doctoral degree in Wildlife biology, from AVC College, Tamil Nadu. He is passionate about wild animal populaꢀon ecology and conservaꢀon. He is working as Teaching Assistant at KVASU-CWS. George Chandy (GC) has completed masters and PhD, in Veterinary Sciences. He is the Course Director of KVASU-Centre for Wildlife Studies and he is passionate about Wildlife Conservaꢀon and Tribal Welfare. Biju S. (BS) has completed masters and PhD, in Veterinary Sciences. He is working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Livestock Producꢀon and Management.

Author contribuꢀon: MA developed the concept, formulated hypothesis and did data analysis. AV did the field data collecꢀon, conceived the idea and carried out the preliminary analysis. GC and BS supervised the work and preparaꢀon of the final manuscript.

Acknowledgements: The authors are thankful to the chief wildlife warden for granꢀng permission to conduct the research study in the Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary (WL10-13885/2017 dated 23.03.2018). We thank the wildlife warden and other field staff for their support at the ꢀme of the survey.

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INTRODUCTION

It is bounded by Nelliampathy Reserve Forest on the east, Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary on the north-
Buꢁerflies are universally popular among all west, and Sholayar Reserve Forest on the south (Fig. 1). fauna. They are very beauꢀful and come in various The mean annual rainfall is 3,130mm. The sanctuary has sizes, shapes, and colours. Different paꢁerns on a tropical humid climate, with three disꢀnct seasons, dry their body enhance their aestheꢀc value (Gupta & season (December–March) followed by the south-west Majumdar 2012). The Western Ghats can be classified monsoon (April–July), and north-east monsoon (August– into three biogeographical parts based on the status November). Temperature varies from 38.5°C to 15.6°C and distribuꢀon of buꢁerflies. They are the southern during different seasons. The minimum temperature Western Ghats, central Western Ghats and the northern falls below 15.6°C during December. The area is also Western Ghats (Gaonkar 1996). Because of high levels vulnerable to forest fires during the dry season. The of species endemism, the Western Ghats is listed under sanctuary has more than 250 streams and six man-made 34 global biodiversity hotspots. The region is prominent waterholes. Diverse vegetaꢀon and favourable climaꢀc among all other biodiversity hotspots (Myers et al. 2000). condiꢀons in the sanctuary could support many species The buꢁerfly fauna of the Western Ghats consists of 346 of buꢁerflies. species of buꢁerflies under six families (Bhakre & Ogle 2018).
Most of the inventory surveys were carried out by

Buꢁerfly abundance esꢀmaꢀon

Buꢁerfly species abundance was esꢀmated using sampling through forest paths and trails without any fixed-width transect method in CWS from April 2018 informaꢀon on the sample area (Sudheendrakumar et to August 2018. Totally, 15 strip transects of 2km were al. 2000; Sreekumar & Balakrishnan 2001; Aneesh et al. selected along paths with 2-m width on either side of 2013), hence it was not possible to esꢀmate populaꢀon the transect and sampled twice that resulted in the density. The systemaꢀc surveys using fixed width sampling effort of 60km. The surveys were conducted transect or using pollard walk (Isaac et al. 2011) helps to between 09.30h and 13.30h when the buꢁerflies were esꢀmate the populaꢀon density of buꢁerflies with the most acꢀve. The buꢁerflies observed in the field were same sampling effort by recording addiꢀonal informaꢀon photographed for further clarificaꢀon and idenꢀficaꢀon. on length and width of the area sampled. It is essenꢀal Buꢁerflies were idenꢀfied using field guides (Kunte to determine the different factors that determine the 2006; Palot 2015; Kehimkar 2016; Bhakre & Ogale 2018) detecꢀon probability. Species-wise differences in the and specialists were consulted in case of uncertainty detecꢀon probability of buꢁerflies were reported in the in the idenꢀficaꢀon of species. The buꢁerflies were studies carried out in the United Kingdom (Isaac et al. photographed using a Nikon 3100 DSLR camera with

2011).

18–50mm and 70–300 mm lens. The buꢁerfly survey
The family Nymphalidae is the most dominant family routes were marked with GPS (Fig.1).

• with a high number of species. A detailed diversity study
• Staꢀsꢀcal analysis was performed by using Windows-

of buꢁerflies in Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) has based staꢀsꢀcal package Microsoſt Excel, PAST (Hammer not been done yet. Previous studies reported 24 species et al. 2001) and SPSS. The diversity indices such as of buꢁerflies in the study area (George 2012). We Simpson and Shannon-Wiener index of buꢁerfly species have invesꢀgated buꢁerfly species size and abundance fromeachhabitatwereanalysedwiththehelpofsoſtware influence on the detecꢀon of buꢁerflies in inventory PAST. Buꢁerfly size difference among different families

• surveys at CWS.
• was tested using one-way analysis of variance (one-way

ANOVA). The factors that determine the detecꢀon of buꢁerflies, such as abundance, acꢀviꢀes (0—resꢀng; 1—foraging, flying, mud puddling, etc), size of buꢁerflies were tested using mulꢀple regression. Both response and independent variables were log-transformed due to

METHODS

Study area

The study was conducted in Chimmony Wildlife posiꢀve skewness of data. Linearity was examined by
Sanctuary, which spreads geographically within 76.417N ploꢂng the relaꢀonship between the response variable and 10.402E and 76.560N and 10.483E in Thrissur (number of detecꢀons) and each predictor variable District of Kerala State (George 2012). The sanctuary was (abundance and size) using Lowess plot. To invesꢀgate established in the year 1984. The sanctuary consists of mulꢀcollinearity between the environmental covariates, parts of Kodassery Reserve with an extent of 85.07km². a correlaꢀon analysis was conducted before using

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Figure 1. Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary and buꢁerfly survey routes in the study area.

mulꢀple regressions to assess the relaꢀonships between in the Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protecꢀon Act the response variable and predictor variables, thereby (1972). In total there are 20 species of buꢁerflies that providing valid parameter esꢀmates and p values. The are catalogued in the Schedules of IWPA and provide data were analyzed using SPSS Staꢀsꢀcs 21 (IBM SPSS protecꢀon to the buꢁerflies. Common Lineblue is the

• Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA).
• most abundant buꢁerfly followed by Common Crow and

Common Emigrant in CWS. There were more than 100 individuals of all these buꢁerflies that were recorded in the study area. There were 42 species that were recorded only once during the ꢀme of the survey.

RESULTS

Totally, 141 buꢁerfly species were documented

in CWS from April to June 2020. Buꢁerfly species Factors that determine detecꢀon of buꢁerflies

composiꢀon varied among different families, with The size of buꢁerflies varies among families with Nymphalidae and Lycanidae consꢀtuꢀng 62%. Families the largest sized buꢁerflies recorded from Papilionidae such as Hesperidae, Papilionidae, and Pieridae were and Nymphalidae (102.8±23mm and 70.1±20.1mm). consꢀtuted 16.3%, 12.8%, and 8.5%, respecꢀvely. Only Hesperidae (37.5mm) and Lycanidae (30.6mm) are one species (Double-banded Judy) was recorded in the the smallest-sized buꢁerflies. Pieridae and Riodinidae family of Riodinidae. Thus there is significant variaꢀon are the medium-sized buꢁerflies (57.7mm and 45mm, in the number of species recorded among different respecꢀvely). There is a significant difference in the size families (X²=67.3; df=5; p<0.01). The majority of of buꢁerflies among different families (F= 118.20; df= 5; buꢁerfly species belong to Nymphalidae and Lycanidae p< 0.001).

• in Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The relaꢀonship between the number of detecꢀon,

In total, 15 species are found to be endemic to the abundance, and size of buꢁerflies were tested using
Western Ghats region (Table 1). Buꢁerfly species such mulꢀple regression. The number of detecꢀon had as Indian Ace, Shiva Sunbeam, Blue Oakleaf, Danaid linear relaꢀon with abundance, size, and acꢀviꢀes of Eggfly, Gladeye Bushbrown, Malabar Tree Nymph, the buꢁerflies. The model was highly significant and Tailed Palmfly, Tamil Catseye, and Southern Birdwing explained 86.9% variaꢀon in the detecꢀon of buꢁerflies are endemic species (Images 1–45). There are four (F= 407.76; df= 3; p< 0.00; Table 2). All the three species of buꢁerflies such as Orchid Tit, Malabar Banded predictors had posiꢀve abundance and size posiꢀvely Swallowtail, Crimson Rose, and Danaid Eggfly listed influenced number of detecꢀons. From the standardized

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Table 1. Buꢁerfly species and their abundance (data sorted in descending order) recorded in Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary.

IWPA -Schedule
Abundance

• Family/ Common name
• Species

of buꢁerflies

• I
• I,II
• II,IV

Hesperidae

12

Demon sp.

Notocrypta sp.

10

8

7665

4

3111111111111111

Dusky Partwing Water Snow Flat Chestnut Bob

Psolos fuligo

3

Tagiades liꢀgiosa

4

Iambrix salsala luteipalpis

Caprona ransonneꢁi

Notocrypta paralysos mangla

Odontopꢀlum angulata

Celaenorrhinus leucocera Pseudoborbo bevani

Badamia exclamaꢀonis

Matapa aria

5

Golden Angle

6

Common Banded Demon Chestnut Angle Common Spoꢁed Flat Bevan’s Swiſt

7

8

910 11 12 13

14

15 16 17

18

19 20 21 22 23

Brown Awl Common Red Eye Common Small Flat Dark Palm-dart Grass Demon

Sarangesa dasahara dasahara Telicota bambusae bambusae Udaspes folus

Indian Ace**

Halpe homolea hindu Oriens goloides

1

Indian Dartlet Pygmy Scrub Hopper Restricted Demon Spoꢁed Small Flat Suffused Snow Flat Tamil Grass Dart Tricoloured Pied Flat Wax Dart

Aeromachus pygmaeus Notocrypta curvifascia Sarangesa purendra hopkinsi Tagiades gana silvia Taractrocera ceramas Coladenia indrani indra Cupitha purreea

Lycaenidae

24

25 26 27

28

29 30 31 32 33

34

35 36 37

38

39

40 41
Common Lineblue Tailless Lineblue Tiny Grass Blue Common Pierrot Quaker

Prosotas nora

240

60

44

29 29 26 21 15 12 12 10 9

Prosotas dubiosa Zizula hylax Castalius rosimon Neopithecops zalmora

Zizina oꢀs

Lesser Grass Blue Angled Pierrot Monkey Puzzle Common Imperial Yamfly

Caleta decidia Rathinda amor Cheritra freja butleri Loxura atymnus atymnus Chilades pandava Zeltus amasa

Plains Cupid Fluffy Tit Common Cerulean Many-tailed Oakblue Metallic Cerulean Common Hedge Blue Dark Cerulean Banded Blue Pierrot

Jamides celeno

8

Thaduka mulꢀcaudata Kanara

Jamides alecto

8

1

8

Acytolepis puspa felderi Jamides bochus

55

Discolampa ethion

3

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IWPA -Schedule
I,II II,IV
Abundance of buꢁerflies

• Family/ Common name
• Species

I

42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

50 51 52 53

54

55 56 57

58

59

Dark Pierrot Gram Blue

Tarucus ananda

333222111111111111

1(IV)

Euchrysops cnejus

Cureꢀs siva

1

Shiva Sunbeam** Dingy Lineblue Indian Sunbeam Large Oakblue Apefly

Petrelaea dana

Cureꢀs theꢀs

Arhopala amantes Spalgis epeus

Common Silverline Cornelian

Spindasis vulcanus Deudorix epijarbas Catochrysops Strabo Rapala varuna