Comparative Assessment of Butterfly and Pollinator Diversity across Urban and Semi-Natural Ecosystems of Tripura, Northeast India
Subhalaxmi Bhattacharjee*
Dept. of Zoology, Holy Cross College, Lembucherra, Tripura (799 210), India
Jasmine Chakma
Dept. of Zoology, Holy Cross College, Lembucherra, Tripura (799 210), India
Tamson Mog
Dept. of Zoology, Holy Cross College, Lembucherra, Tripura (799 210), India
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54083/BRT/7.8.2025/237-247
Keywords: Butterfly diversity, Conservation strategy, Pollinator ecology, Semi-natural forests, Tripura, Urban biodiversity
Abstract
As a key pollinator and ecological indicator, butterflies play a crucial role in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. The paper provides an overall assessment of butterfly and general pollinator diversity in two ecologically distinct environments in Tripura, namely, Oxygen Park, a managed urban green space in Agartala and Silachari, a semi-natural deciduous forest in South Tripura. Field surveys were conducted during the pre-monsoon season (April-May 2024) and recorded 30 butterfly species at Oxygen Park and 30 pollinator taxa at Silachari, including 18 butterfly species. The families of dominant butterflies were Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae. The species diversity indices indicated that heterogeneity of species was higher in Silachari (H′=3.8) as compared to Oxygen Park (H′=3.1). The presence of endemic and specialist species like Cirrochroa aoris and Neptis reducta in forest habitat and presence of adaptable generalists like Danaus chrysippus and Eurema hecabe in urban green spaces falls in line with the expectancy of the species predation and feeding preferences. The results support the complementary role of the two landscapes in sustaining the community of pollinators and promote ecosystem-level conservation across the urban and nature ecosystems. The study also underlines an urgent necessity to develop integrated conservation plans with an eye on landscape level connectivity and pollination services to guarantee ecological resilience in the face of urbanisation and habitat fragmentation.
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