DIVERSITY AND SEASONALITY OF BUTTERFLIES IN SARISKA TIGER RESERVE, RAJASTHAN

Abstract

Sariska tiger reserve is the famous tiger reserve in India. It is situated in Alwar district of
Rajasthan state. It is endowed with unique flora and fauna. This tiger reserve surrounded by the
oldest mountain ranges of Aravalli. The forest of type sariska tiger reserve is tropical dry
deciduous, and dominant plant species are Anogeissus pendula, Boswellia serrata, Acacia
catechu, Dendrocalamus strictus, Butea monosperma, Capparis deciduas, Ziziphus maturittiana
etc. This region is come under the semi-humid climate zone with an average rainfall of 40 to
60mm. which directly influence the floral composition of that area. This present study mainly
focuses on species diversity of butterflies and the effect of abiotic factors on diversity
compositions in different seasons. The Seasonal survey of study site was done from June 2016
to July 2018. Seventeen hundred eighty four samples surveyed during sampling, which belongs
to 38 species 26 genera and 5 families. Pieridae is the dominant family followed by Nymphalidae
and Lycaenidae respectively, the least dominant family is Papilionidae and Hesperidae. During
the field observation five transect were surveyed in different seasons. Diversity indices value
shows that Sariska tiger reserve is rich in diversity. Abiotic factors viz. temperature, rainfall and
humidity and species diversity correlation show a positive correlation with temperature and
negative correlation with rainfall and humidity.