BUTTERFLY (LEPIDOPTERA: RHOPALOCERA) DIVERSITY OF FOREST CAMPUS, COIMBATORE, TAMILNADU

The Forest Campus is situated in the urban environs of Coimbatore. It has an extent of 165 acres. Studies on butterfly diversity in the Forest campus was carried out from January 2013 to January 2014 by line transect method. Altogether 59 species of butterflies coming under 42 genera and five families were recorded during the study. Occurrence of certain butterflies viz. Crimson Rose (Pachliopta hector Linnaeus), Common Pierrot (Castalius rosimon Fabricius) and Danaid eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus Linnaeus) listed in the Schedule-I and Common Gull (Cepora nerissa Fabricius) included in the Schedule-II of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, in the campus is interesting. The study highlights the potential of such vegetated areas in the urban surroundings to serve as ‘refugia’ for the fast dwindling butterfly fauna.