49 N Save Nature to Survive 9(1&2): 49-57, 2015 QUARTERLY BUTTERFLY DIVERSITY AT AGRI-HORTICULTURAL ECOSYSTEMS UNDER TROPICAL CONDITIONS OF KARNATAKA, INDIA S. SANTHOSH AND S. BASAVARAJAPPA* Department of Studies in Zoology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore - 570 006, Karnataka, INDIA e-mail:apiraj09@gmail.com INTRODUCTION Butterflies are indicators of regional vegetation among insects group. More attention is paid throughout the world, because of their important service in environmental quality assessment under terrestrial ecosystem (Ghazoul, 2002). Their short life cycle could result in rapid population size and their wide range of life style makes them sensitive to change in biotic and abiotic environment (Addai and Baidoo, 2013). Thus, butterfly conservation need is increasing with every year. As butterflies are important flagship species for insect conservation (Smetacek, 1996; VenketaRamana, 2010 and 2011 and Kumar et al., 2007), also used as ‘Umbrella group’ of species for conservation and management (Fleishman et al., 2000 and 2001; Betrus et al., 2005 and Padhya et al., 2012). Because they are sensitive to change in microclimate, temperature, solar radiation and the availability of host plants for oviposition and larval development (Thomas et al., 1998; Fordyce and Nice, 2003 and Rajagopal et al., 2011). They also accomplish pollination, a key stone ecological process in nature sustainability throughout the world (Gupta et al., 2012) and abundance of their development on the plants, butterfly diversity may reflect over all plant diversity in the given area (Padhya et al., 2006). Around the world, systematic studies of butterfly have been made since from the turn of early 18 th century, about 19,238 species were documented (Heppner, 1998). In India, several researchers have been documented butterflies since from the turn of 19 th century and till today; about 1,504 butterfly species were identified. They accounted 8.7% of butterfly species of the world (Kunte, 2005). Among them, peninsular India host 350 species and 334 species housed in Western Ghats (Kunte, 2001 and Padhya et al., 2012), 150 species from Eastern Ghats (Gunathilagaraj et al., 1998) and 313 species of butterflies from southern India (Gonkar, 1996). Total 42 species are endemic to southern India (Rajgopal et al., 2011). The literature on butterflies enriched due to the workers, Bingham (1905 and 1907), Evans (1932), Talbot (1938 and 1947), Wynter-Blyth (1947), Cantile (1962), Larsen (1987), Mathew and Rahamathulla (1993), Gaonkar (1996), Gunathilagaraj et al. (1998), Haribal (1992), Heppner (1998), Kunte (2000), Guptha and Mondal (2005), Kumar et al. (2007), Krishnakumar et al. (2008), Sharma and Joshi (2009), Ramesh et al. (2010), Gowda et al. (2011). Recently, Padhya et al. (2012) have revised the literatures on butterflies in Western Ghats and enlisted, distribution and abundance of butterfly species along the latitudinal and habitat gradients. But, in the past few decades, butterfly population in India has declined (Grewal, 1996) and 100 out of 1,504 butterfly species occurring in India are on the verge of extinction (Solomon Raju and Rao, 2002). This is mainly due to anthropogenic activities and change of environmental factors beyond the tolerance limit of butterfly species (Tiple et al., 2007). Further, 95% individuals are dying before they reach the adulthood due to parasites, predators, parasitoids habitat loss and use of chemicals in agricultural fields (Kunte, 2000). Available literature ABSTRACT Field survey was conducted to record the butterfly diversity at different agri-horticultural ecosystems of Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka, India by following Visual Count Method (VCM) and Line Transect Method (LTM) during 2012-2013. Ninety five species belong to Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae, Pieridae, Hesperiidae and Papilionidae family members were distributed at various agri-horticultural ecosystems. The density, relative abundance, of butterfly species depended much on safe environmental conditions associated with floral abundance. Further, butterflies were grouped into very common (34), common (28), rare (24) and very rare (09) species found respectively 35.78, 29.47, 25.26 and 9.47%. Altogether, twelve different butterfly species were recorded as protected species as per Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Nymphalidae family members such as Dark Blue Tiger (Tirumala septentrionis), Blue Tiger (T. limniacea), Double Banded Crow (Euploea Sylvester) and Common Indian Crow (E. core) were migrants, well known for their long distance migration from east to west and vice versa. Since, Chamarajanagar district possess 48% reserve forest area including B.R. Hills, M.M. Hills, Gopalswamy Betta and Cauvery Reserve Forest, where human interference is restricted. Perhaps, this might have influenced the good growth of foraging and nest host plants amidst Chamarajanagar district for these butterfly species. KEY WORDS Seed borne fungi Fruit rot of chilli Blotter method Seedling rot, Seed treatment Received : 12.07.2014 Revised : 10.12.2014 Accepted : 07.03.2015 *Corresponding author