Butterfly diversity and distribution in Bloomsdale research farmof ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair, South Andaman

Complete floral and faunal information is required to preserve the biodiversity of research fields and adjacent forest. In this respect, a preliminary study of butterfly diversity of the proposed research farm and adjacent forest area in Bloomsdale Research Farm, South Andaman was carried out during 2011-12. A total of 40 species of butterflies belonging to 35 genera of five families were recorded. The distribution of 40 species of butterflies in different families was found in the sequence of Nymphalidae followed by Lycaenidae, Pieridae, Papilionidae and Hesperiidae.