UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Butterflies are considered as bio-indicators, predicting the health of an ecosystem and its biodiversity, making their conservation crucial.  Dawaipani, a tranquil village of Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India, harbors forests, grasslands and tea gardens, that support diverse flora and fauna and is renowned for its remarkable butterfly diversity. A survey-based study was undertaken to explore the butterflies in this moderately disturbed forest area and to understand the diversity, abundance, community structure, and conservation needs of the study area. The study recorded 64 butterfly species from 49 genera and six families (Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, and Riodinidae), with Nymphalidae being the most dominant with 56.93% of the total number of butterflies and 51.56% of the total butterfly species. The score of Shannon diversity index, Pielou’s evenness index and Simpson's index of diversity were found 3.30, 0.95 and 0.98 respectively, indicating the area is rich in butterfly diversity with high abundance and evenness. The butterflies that showed high occurrences were Common Fivering (Ypthima baldus), Indian Cabbage White (Pieris canidia), Chocolate Pansy (Junonia iphita), Indian Tortoiseshell (Aglais caschmirensis) and Common Crow (Euploea core). Nine species protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972, were documented. The study contributed a concise checklist along with diversity and abundance of the butterfly fauna found in the study site, accentuating the exigency of focused conservation efforts.