Diversity of Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Insecta) from Balh Valley (District Mandi in Himachal Pradesh), INDIA

Butterflies are important bio indicators which should be protected to conserve the biodiversity and environment. Butterflies diversity in Himachal Pradesh is very rich and diversified, primarily due to varied climatic conditions ranging from tropical in the foothill to arctic environment in the Trans-Himalayan region. The Balh Valley, also Known as Sunder Nagar Valley, lies in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, situated in the lap of North Western Himalaya at an altitude of 800 m above sea level in lower Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh has been explored during the course of present investigation. Different species of plants and habitats of Balh Valley attract wide variety of butterfly fauna, which play a vital role in pollination of various flowering plants besides a key component of food chain. Butterflies studies carried out in Balh valley, during different seasons of the year 2012-2013 revealed the presence of 40 butterfly species belonging to 31 genera and 8 families of order Lepidoptera viz., Nymphalidae, Pieridae, Satyridae, Papilionidae, Danaidae, Lycaenidae, Hesperidae and Erycinidae. . During the course of present studies it was observed that the family Pieridae represented by 9 species was the most dominant followed by Nymphalidae and Satyridae (8 species each), Papilionidae and Danaidae (5 species each), Lycaenidae (2 species), Hesperidae (1) species) and Erycinidae (1species) respectively. These findings have been based on one year of field work. Such studies on monitoring the species diversity of butterflies can give valuable information on their population dynamics