~ 218 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2014; 2 (5): 218-224 ISSN 2320-7078 JEZS 2014; 2 (5): 218-224 © 2014 JEZS Received: 19-08-2014 Accepted: 09-09-2014 Tahsinur Rahman Shihan Junior Wildlife Researcher, Monitoring and Conservation of Wildlife in Kaptai National Park of Bangladesh Project. Belgachi Eidgahpara, Chuadanga, Bangladesh. Department of zoology, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Correspondence: Tahsinur Rahman Shihan Junior Wildlife Researcher, Monitoring and Conservation of Wildlife in Kaptai National Park of Bangladesh Project. Belgachi Eidgahpara, Chuadanga, Bangladesh. Department of zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Checklist of butterflies of Chuadanga District, Bangladesh Tahsinur Rahman Shihan Abstract A study was conducted in Chuadanga district during November 2011 to April 2014 to investigate the butterfly diversity. A total of 49 species of butterflies belonging to six families were recorded for the first time. The family Nymphalidae was found to be dominant with 17 species followed by Lycaenidae (10 species), Hesperiidae (10 species), Pieridae (06 species), Papilionidae (05 species) and Riodinidae (01 species). Keywords: Butterfly, Chuadanga, Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae, Riodinidae, Hesperiidae 1. Introduction Chuadanga district is an important habitat for butterflies with many fruit gardens, agricultural fields, homestead vegetation, flower garden, weeds, wild herbs and shrubs contain huge number of varieties include apang (Achyranthes aspera), khejur (Phoenix sylvestris), helencha (Alternanthera philoxeroides), kata note (Amaranthus sp.), shoti (Curcuma zedoaria), durba (Cynodon dactylon), shon (Imperata cylindrica), dhani ghas (Panicum repens), dhan (Oryza sativa), akondo (Calotropis procera), porgacha (Dendrophthoe sp.), dadmordon (Glycosmis pentaphylla), lantan (Lantana camara), lojjaboti (Mimosa pudica), reri (Ricinus communis); bel (Aegle marmelos), kamranga (Averrhoa carambola), bans (Bambusa arundinacea), shimul (Bombax ceiba), tal (Borassus flabellifer), shonalu (Cassia fistula), lebu (Citrus aurantifolia), batabi lebu (Citrus grandis), narkel (Cocos nucifera), am (Mangifera indica), kul (Ziziphus mauritiana), is warmful (Aristolochia indica), bonalu (Dioscorea bulbifera) whose leaves act as larval food for different species of butterflies [1, 2] . Butterflies of Chuadanga district have not been documented. The objective of this study is to identify butterflies and to contribute the butterfly checklist of Bangladesh with established a permanent database. Butterflies are natural pollinators and potentially useful ecological indicators of urbanization and forest health because they are ready surveyed, and they are sensitive to changes in microclimate, temperature, solar radiation, and the availability of host plants for ovipositing and larval development [3, 4, 5] . Increased urban features, including roads, buildings and moved lawns, correspond with decreases in butterfly species richness, diversity and abundance [6, 7, 8, 9] . Urbanization also is associated with habitat degradation including decreased plant species diversity, reduced water quality, and increased air and soil pollutions [10, 11, 12, 13, 14] . The reductions in amount and quality of natural habitat associate with urban development negatively affect nature biodiversity [15] . Studies on butterfly fauna are very few in Bangladesh which is not completely documented. Since 1947 very little research on butterflies has been conducted [16] . Khan (2001) documented 49 species from Tangail [17] . According to Larsen (2004) only 311 butterfly species had been recorded from Bangladesh [18] . Furthermore, Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, mentioned 148 butterflies species [19] . In addition there are some regional works have been done on butterfly checklist such as Islam (2011) documented 158 species from Savar, Dhaka [20] . Chowdhury and Hossain (2013) was recorded 225 butterfly species with pictorial evidence from all over the Bangladesh [21] . Hossain (2014) documented 37 species from Sundarban [22] . Neogi, Khan and Shahadat (2014) have added 9 more new species to the checklist which takes the total number of butterflies to 320 IUCN checklists of butterflies [16, 23, 32] .