Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2016; 4(4): 547-560 E-ISSN: 2320-7078 P-ISSN: 2349-6800 JEZS 2016; 4(4): 547-560 Butterfly (Lepidoptera) Diversity in Barail © 2016 JEZS Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, India Received: 26-05-2016 Accepted: 27-06-2016 Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi, Hillol Jyoti Singha and Panna Deb Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam Abstract University, Silchar-788011, The paper reports 343 butterfly species recorded from Barail Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam on the basis of Assam, India fieldwork conducted December 2012 to April 2016. Important sightings include Common Clubtail Hillol Jyoti Singha Losoria coon cacharensis, Pointed Palmfly Elymnias penanga, Sergeant Emperor Mimathyma chevana, Centre for Biodiversity & Scarce Jester Symbrenthia silana, Redtail Marquis Bassarona recta, Branded Yeoman Algia fasciata, Natural Resource Conservation, Silver Royal Ancema blanka, Dusky Royal Tajuria thyia, White Dawnfly Capilia pieridoides, Red vein Department of Ecology and Lancer Pyroneura callineura. Pointed Palmfly Elymnias penanga, Malayan Bushblue Arhopala Environmental Science, Assam ammonides elira, Scarce Jester Symbrenthia silana are legally protected under Schedule I, Wildlife University, Silchar-78801, (Protection) Act, 1972 in India. The study revealed lots of Malayan species in the sanctuary and two Assam, India additions to Indian fauna viz. Fawcett’s Pierrot Niphanda asialis marcia and Multi Spotted Oakblue Arhopala anthelus. Panna Deb Centre for Biodiversity & Keywords: Butterfly checklist, Barail, Assam, significant sightings Natural Resource Conservation, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam 1. Introduction University, Silchar-788011, Cachar hills (also called South Assam Hills) lies in the southern part of Assam. Barak River, Assam, India originating from Manipur-Nagaland border divides Cachar into two parts: North Cachar and South Cachar. Through the North Cachar (also known as N.C. Hills), Barail Hill Range runs from the border of East Jaintia hills further up to Nagaland. [1, 2] The area is well studied in terms of butterflies during late 1890s and early 1900s [3-6]. However, more taxonomic work has [7-9] [1] been done in nearby Khasi-Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya . Butler (1879) published first list of butterflies of Cachar followed by the second list by Wood Mason & De Niceville (1887) [3]. In the 1920s also Cachar butterflies were studied and some of the study area falls under present Barail Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) [10]. Many butterflies are named after Cachar by earlier workers viz. Common Clubtail Losoria coon cacharensis, Narrow banded Velvet Bob [1, 11] Koruthailalos rubecula cachara . Cachar Hills is also home to endemic Cachar Mandarin Blue Charana cepheis butterfly. Despite its potential, the area is not well studied in recent times. Moreover, BWS it is the only protected area in Barak valley, declared as a sanctuary in 2004 (with an area of 326 sq. km) and butterfly diversity of the sanctuary was not yet studied. Due to lack of information on butterflies from the protected areas, the conservation status of butterflies and importance of the areas could not be evaluated till date. This study attempts to prepare a list on the basis of recent records from the sanctuary, which will help in understanding the importance of the sanctuary and further help in conservation evaluation. Due to lack of road through Marwacherra, the lower elevation butterflies were not covered in [1, 2] late 1890s and early 1900s and their route was through Subong-Nemota (Cachar peak) . In our study, much of our work was confined to Marwacherra and hence many butterflies were recorded for the first time. 2. Study area Barail Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) is the lone sanctuary in the entire southern Assam with an Correspondence area of 326.24 square kilometers (Fig. 1). The sanctuary (24°55΄53΄΄-25°05΄52΄΄ N latitude and Hillol Jyoti Singha 92°27΄40΄΄-93°04΄30΄΄ E longitude) lies in northern bank of Barak River. The sanctuary Centre for Biodiversity & represents the northern low elevation to mid-elevation of Barak valley, Assam with an Natural Resource Conservation, elevation of 28 m-1100 m. The sanctuary is also one of the last remaining contiguous forest Department of Ecology and [12] Environmental Science, Assam tracks left in southern Assam. BWS is a biologically important area . Since the area University, Silchar-78801, represents the northern bank of Barak River, the term ‘North Cachar’ was used by the earlier Assam, India workers to represent the area [1, 2]. ~ 547 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies The sanctuary represents the lower ridges of Barail Hill tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen in human disturbances Range. To the west of BWS lies the Narpuh Wildlife area in lower elevation and moist deciduous at mid elevation. Sanctuary (NWS), Meghalaya, which has equally good forest The sanctuary has numerous streams inside it and water fills as BWS. BWS and NWS are separated by Baleshwori River them up during summer. The streams of the sanctuary are in Malidor. The Jatinga River divides the sanctuary into two characterized by riparian vegetation and some of undisturbed blocks: West block and East lock. The Kalain River flows riparian patches are rich in palms and canes. Wild banana through the East block. To the northern side of BWS, lies the patches occur in the openings of moist forest along riparian Dima Hasao district, which is completely degraded. Doloo habitat. The periphery of the sanctuary is covered mostly by River flows through the western boundary of the sanctuary. beetle nut plantations and human settlements. Paan jhum is The sanctuary falls within the plains of Cachar towards its also prevalent inside the sanctuary. Teak (Tectona grandis), southern side where Barak River flows, whereas the western Sal (Shorea robusta) plantation is also found inside the side and eastern side are continuous hilly terrain. The plains sanctuary along with other secondary characters like beyond have large patches of tea gardens and paddy field. The cultivated flatland, extensive bamboo brakes. Pnar- sanctuary is a continuous hill tract starting from NWS, its community is the main inhabitants in the periphery of the western boundary. Champion and Seth (1968) [13] classified sanctuary and they believe forest is an integrated part of their the forest types as Cachar Tropical Evergreen Forest, Cachar life. They also protect their forest and hence some of the Tropical Semi-evergreen Forest and Subtropical Broadleaf forests still exist in the periphery of Marwacherra. Hill Forest. The vegetation of the sanctuary is represented by Fig 1: Map showing the location of Barail Wildlife Sanctuary in North East India Image 1. Losoria coon cacharensis Image 2. Papilio paradoxa Image 3. Papilio paradoxa ~ 548 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies Image 4. Meandrusa payeni evan Image 5. Appias nero galba Image 6. Ypthima lycus Image 7. Mycalesis francisca Image 8. Elymnias patna Image 9. Elymnias penanga Image 12. Bassarona recta Image 10. Algia fasciata Image 11. Mimathyma chevana Image 13. Bassarona teuta Image 14. Lassipa tiga camboja Image 15. Niphanda asialis marcia Image 18. Capilia pieridoides Image 16. Arhopala anthelus Image 17. Tajuria thyia ~ 549 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies Image 19. Koruthaialos rubecula cachara Image 20. Pyroneura callineura Image 21. Pyroneura margherita 2.1 Specific Study sites 2.2 Habitat classification Western block (Silchar-Haflong road) The habitat has been classified as natural or degraded on the 1. Lakhicherra-Marwacherra: The stream can be entered basis of disturbances. The areas with monoculture like paddy through Marwacherra village, which falls in Silchar- field, beetle nut plantation, bamboo plantation, and vegetable Haflong road. The periphery of the sanctuary near garden and human settlements have been regarded as Marwacherra is semi degraded. The periphery is mostly degraded. The forest patches with no monoculture and natural dominated by monoculture (beetlenut, bamboo, paddy forest covered has been considered natural forest. and vegetable cultivations. 2. Patinala stream: The stream is just below Nirmatha peak 3. Materials and methods with an elevation of 650 m. The stream has an average Butterflies were sampled following Pollard walk [14] on fixed elevation of 46 m. The stream is flanked by lower canopy transects in different habitats covering all the seasons for forest on both sides. three successive years: Dec 2012-April 2016. The transect 3. Durbin village: The village is just below the Cachar peak lengths varied from 500 m to 2000 m length depending on the and Jatinga River. The area lies near the northern most length of the stream. Butterflies were sampled from 9.30 am boundary of the sanctuary (Bandarkhal). to 3.30 pm on sunny days. At the end of each sampling session search was conducted for additional species not Western block (Indranaga) recorded in the transect count. The time taken to complete the 4. Indranagar: The area represents the eastern boundary of list was also noted. Butterflies were identified following BWS. Doloo River flows through the boundary of the standard literature [11, 15]. sanctuary. Teak plantation is prevalent in the forest edges and some part of the interior. 4. Results and Discussion 5. Kalapahar-Abong Hills: The hills lie on eastern boundary The study revealed 343 species from BWS belonging to 170 of BWS. The average elevation of the hills exceeds to genera (Table 1). Out of these,