Ina Aprillia et al, 2018 | Abstract 1 BIOVALENTIA: BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH JOURNAL e-ISSN: 2477-1392 Vol. 4 No. 2, November 2018 Diversity of Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) in The Gunung Raya Wildlife Reserve, Sub District Warkuk Ranau, South Sumatra Ina Aprillia 1 *, Indra Yustian 2 , Arum Setiawan 2 , Doni Setiawan 2 1 Department Conservation Biology Program, Faculty of Science, Sriwijaya University, Jalan Padang Selasa 524, Palem- bang, South Sumatra 30139, Indonesia. 2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics & Natural Sciences, Sriwijaya University. Jalan Raya Palembang- Prabumulih km 32, Indralaya, Indonesia. *Corresponding author E-mail address: inaaprillia3@gmail.com (Ina Aprillia). Peer review under responsibility of Biology Department Sriwijaya University Abstract This study aims to determine the diversity of butterflies at the Gunung Raya Wildlife Reserve, South Sumatra. The research was con- ducted in January-February 2018. The research sites were 4 different habitat types, namely primary forest, secondary forest, riparian area, and bush and plantation. Data collection uses direct observation and capture techniques along the transect line (linear transect counting) along 1000 m in each habitat type using insect nets. The results of the study obtained 55 butterfly species belonging to 5 fami- lies (there were 13 species of Papilionidae, 30 species of Nymphalidae, 7 species of Pieridae, one species of Riodinidae, and four spe- cies of Lycaenidae). The highest Shannon diversity index (H’) is in primary forest habitat (Manduriang) with H'= 3.5; followed by shrubs and plantations (Pasir Bintang) with H'= 3.45, and riparian areas (Talang Lebong) with H' = 3.23; while the lowest is second- ary forest (Mesagih) with H'= 2.94. Distribution of species in all locations is relative (E> 0.9) and high species richness (R> 4). 2 but- terfly species protected by Regulations of the Environtment and Forestry Ministers No 20 of 2018, namely Troides helena and Trogonoptera brookiana has been found in this study. Keywords: distribution, habitat type, species richness Received: 14 September 2018, Accepted: 28 November 2018 1. Introduction Butterflies are one of the most numerous species of insects that are very easy to find in various types of habitat. In Indonesia it is known that more than 2500 spe- cies of butterflies are spread in various regions[1], while in the Sumatran island are estimated 500 species of butter- flies although there is no definite data [2]. Butterflies are classified into 3 super families namely Hesperiioidea, Pa- pilionoidea and Hedyloidae. Hesperiioidea and Hedyloi- dea each have one family, namely Hesperiidae and Hedylidae, while Papilionoidae is divided into 5 families namely Papilionidae, Nymphalidae, Pieridae, Riodinidae and Lycaenidae [3]. The existence of butterflies in nature has a very im- portant role, including being a pollinating to the flowering plants, maintaining the balance of ecosystems and bio- indicators for environmental change. Some butterflies are very selective in choosing host plants so that their presence in nature can be a marker of the diversity of vegetation in a region [4]. In addition to the ecological role, butterflies are known to become handicraft items that play a role in the economy of the community [5]. However, large-scale hunt- ing along with the increasing demand to be used as collec- tions also reduce the population of butterflies in nature so that the government has set several types of butterflies as protected animals such as butterflies from the Genus Troides and Trogonoptera as stated in Minister of Envi- ronment and Forestry Regulation PP No 7 of 1990 con- cerning protected plants and animals [6]. In addition, the establishment of protected areas is also quite efficient in suppressing the hunting of protected animals. The loss of the natural habitat of butterflies due to land conversion and habitat fragmentation is one factor that causes a decline in population [7]. Forest encroachment and monoculture increasingly suppress the presence of but- terflies in their natural habitat. The remaining primary for-