Butterfly Diversity and Habitat Distribution in Silonijan, Karbi Anglong, Assam

A study on butterfly habitat and distribution was conducted in Silonijan, Karbi Anglong, Assam, a biodiversity hotspot near Nambor and Garampani Wildlife Sanctuaries. The study documented 51 identified butterfly species belonging to 6 families and 33 genera. Nymphalidae family was found to be the most dominant (37%; 12 genera, 19 species) compared to Papilionidae (21%; 3 genera, 11 species), Lycaenidae (18%; 6 genera, 9 species), Pieridae (16%; 6 genera, 8 species), Hesperiidae (6%; 3 genera, 3 species) and Riodinidae (2%; 1 genus, 1 species). The calculated Shannon-Wiener and Simpson diversity indices revealed that residential areas had higher species richness and diversity (3.6 and 0.97) than the cultivated areas (3.03 and 0.94). This highlighted the rich butterfly diversity in the study areas, underscoring the need to maintain biodiversity and ensure ecosystem sustainability in relation to changes in land use patterns due to the increase in human population and settlements.