Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Butterfly Communities of Ritchie’s Archipelago in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India: Implications for Conservation of Arthropods and Their Habitats

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Economic and Ecological Significance of Arthropods in Diversified Ecosystems

  • 1129 Accesses

Abstract

The extensive distribution of butterflies in the Andaman and Nicobar islands is an important factor in the ecology of this island ecosystem. Butterflies are recognized as bioindicators and Lepidoptera are known to be susceptible to environmental changes. This work has been carried out on the islands of Ritchie’s Archipelago. The Ritchie’s Archipelago, a cluster of smaller islands, is situated 25–30 km east of Greater Andaman. This archipelago comprises mainly four larger islands, few smaller islands and several islets, which extends roughly as north-south chain parallel to the main great Andaman island group. The butterfly communities of Ritchie’s Archipelago were investigated during 2008 and 2011, the line transect method by employing to assess the population of butterflies. A total of 84 species belonging to five families and 58 genera were recorded during the period of the study. Highest species was recorded in Nymphalidae family followed by families of Lycaenidae, Pieridae and Papilionidae. The Havelock and Neil islands recorded the highest shared species numbers (50 spp.). The diversity index (H′) ranged from 2.76 to 3.96, with the highest index of diversity observed in Havelock Island (3.96). The Ritchie’s Archipelago with high representation of butterflies indicated its importance for in situ conservation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Arora GS, Nandi DN (1980) On the butterfly fauna of Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India) I. Papilionidae. Rec Zool Sur India 77:141–151

    Google Scholar 

  • Arora GS, Nandi DN (1982) On the butterfly fauna of Andaman and Nicobar Islands India II. Pieridae. Ibid 80: 1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandra K, Khatri TC (1995) Butterflies of great Nicobar Islands. Indian J For 18(4):276–273

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandra K, Rajan PT (1996) Butterflies of North, Middle and South Button Island National Park, Andaman. Insect Environ 2(3):110–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Chao A, Shen TJ (2010) Program SPADE (species prediction and diversity estimation). Program and user’s guide, http://chao.stat.nthu.edu.tw

  • Chaturvedi N (1982) Butterflies of Andaman Islands with some new records. J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 79(3):702–704

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaturvedi N, Hussain SA (1991) Some butterflies of Narcondam Island (Andaman). J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 88(3):463

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidar P, Devy S, Yoganand TRK, Ganesh T (1995) Reserve size and implications for the conservation of biodiversity in the Andaman Islands. In: Boyle TJB, Boontawee B (eds) Measuring and monitoring biodiversity in tropical and temperate forests. CIFOR, Jarkarta, pp 287–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Devy MS, Davidar P (2001) Response of wet forest butterflies to selective logging in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve: implications for conservation. Curr Sci 80(3):400–405

    Google Scholar 

  • Devy MS, Ganesh T, Davidar P (1998) Patterns of butterfly distribution in the Andaman Islands: implications for conservation. Acta Oecologia 19(6):527–534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eswaran R, Pramod P (2005) Structure of butterfly community of Anaikatty Hills, Western Ghats. Zoos’ Print J 20(8):1939–1942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans WH (1932) The identification of Indian butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay, p 454

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrar ML (1948) Butterflies of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 47(3):470–491

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrar ML (1951) On the butterflies of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 47:470–491

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrar ML (1952) On the butterflies of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 47:470–491

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner SM, Cabido MR, Valladares GR, Diaz S (1995) The influence of habitat structure on arthropod diversity in Argentine semiarid Chaco forest. J Veg Sci 6:349–356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grossmueller DW, Lederhouse RC (1987) The role of nectar source distribution in habitat use and oviposition by the tiger swallowtail butterfly. J Lepidop Soc 41(3):159–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Kehimkar I (2008) The book of Indian butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, p 497

    Google Scholar 

  • Khatri TC (1989) A revised list of butterflies from Bay Islands. J Andaman Sci Assoc 5:57–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Khatri TC (1991) On some Nymphalidae (Rhopalocera: Lepidoptera) from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Islands on Mar 3: 82–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Khatri TC (1992) On some Lycaenids (Rhopalcocera: Lepidoptera) from Andaman and Nicbar Islands. Islands on Mar 6: 8–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Khatri TC (1993) Butterflies of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: conservation concerns. J Res Lepidop 32:170–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Khatri TC, Mitra B (1989a) On some Danaidae (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Hexapoda 1:109–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Khatri TC, Mitra B (1989b) Some Pieridae (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Hexapoda 1:127–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Khatri TC, Singh RK (1988) Some Papilionidae (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. J Andaman Sci Assoc 4(1):39–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Kocher SD, Williams EH (2000) The diversity and abundance of North American butterflies vary with habitat disturbance and geography. J Biogeogr 27:785–794

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnakumar N, Kumaraguru A, Thiyagesan K, Asokan S (2008) Diversity of papilionid butterflies in the Indira Gandhi wildlife sanctuary, Western Ghats, southern India. Tigerpaper 35:1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunte K (1997) Seasonal patterns in butterfly abundance and species diversity in four tropical habitats in northern Western Ghats. J Biosci 22(5):593–603

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kunte K (2000) India – a lifescape butterflies of Peninsular India. Indian Academy of Science, Bangalore, Universities Press, Bangalore, p 270

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunte K, Joglekar A, Ghate U, Padmanabhan P (1999) Patterns of butterfly, bird and tree diversity in the Western Ghats. Curr Sci 77:577–586

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambshead PJD, Paterson GLJ, Gage JD (1997) BioDiversity professional beta. The Natural History Museum and the Scottish Association for Marine Science Bombay. Mar Ecol Syst 1(2):60–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Ludwig JA, Reynolds JF (1988) Statistical ecology, a premier on methods and computing. A Wiley-Intersceince publication, New York, p 337

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohanraj P, Veenakumari K (1996) Host plants, phenologies and status of swallowtails (Papilionidae: Lepidoptera) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bay of Bengal. Indian Ocean Biol Con 78:215–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Myers (1990) The biodiversity challenge: expanded hot spots analysis. Environmentalist 10:243–256

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Padhye AD, Dahanukar N, Paingankar M, Deshpande M, Deshpande D (2006) Season and landscape wise distribution of butterflies in Tamhini, Northern, Western Ghats, India. Zoo’s Print J 21(3):2175–2181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollard E (1977) A method for assessing changes in the abundance of butterflies. Biol Con 12:115–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollard E, Yates TJ (1993) Monitoring butterflies for ecology and conservation. Chapman and Hall, London, p 292

    Google Scholar 

  • Ripley SD, Beehler BM (1989) Ornithogeographic affinities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. J Biogeogr 16:232–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sivaperuman C, Shah SK, Raghunathan C (2010) Diversity of butterflies in Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve (GNBR), A and N Islands. In: Proceedings of 3rd Asian Lepidoptera conservation symposium and training programme, Zoo Outreach Organisation Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India pp 21

    Google Scholar 

  • Sivaperuman C, Shah SK, Raghunathan C, Ramakrishna (2011) Structure and species composition of butterflies in Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In: Tyagi BK, Veer V (eds) Entomology: ecology and biodiversity. Scientific Publisher, Jodhpur, pp 168–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Southwood TRE (1975) The dynamics of insect populations. In: Insects science and society. Academic Press, New York, pp 151–199

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Talbot G (1939) The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma (butterflies). Taylor and Francies, London, p 74

    Google Scholar 

  • Talbot G (1947) Fauna of British India, vol II, Butterflies. Today & Tomorrow Printers and Publishers, New Delhi, p 273

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas JA (1995) The ecology and conservation of Maculineaarion and other European species of large blue butterfly. In: Pullin AS (ed) Ecology and conservation of butterflies. Chapman & Hall, London, pp 180–197

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Vane-Wright RI (1978) Ecological and behavioursal origins of diversity in butterflies. In: Diversity of insect faunas. Mound LA, Waloff N (eds) Symp R Entomol Soc London 9: 56–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Vane-Wright RI (1993) Milkweed butterflies (Lepidoptera: Danainae) and conservation priorities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Butterflies 4:21–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Veenakumari K, Mohanraj P (1991) Erionota thrax L. (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), a new record to Andaman Islands. J Andaman Sci Assoc 7(2):91–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Veenakumari K, Mohanraj P (1996) Why Ferrar failed to find second specimen of Polyura Schreiber tisamenus Fruhstorfer (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in the Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean. Entomologist 115(3):159–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Veenakumari K, Mohanraj P, Sreekumar PV (1997) Host plant utilization by butterfly larvae in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Indian Ocean). J Insect Conserv 1:235–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood-Mason J, de Niceville L (1880) List of diurnal Lepidoptera from Port Blair. Andaman Islands. J Asiat Soc Bengal 49(2):223–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood-Mason J, de Niceville L (1881a) List of diurnal Lepidoptera from Port Blair. Andaman Islands. J Asiat Soc Bengal 49(2):223–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood-Mason J, de Niceville L (1881b) Second list of Rhopalocerous Lepidoptera from Port Blair. Andaman Islands. J Asiat Soc Bengal 50(4):243–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood-Mason J, de Niceville L (1882) Second list of Rhopalocerous Lepidoptera from Port Blair. Andaman Islands. J Asiat Soc Bengal 11:14–20

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoological Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, Port Blair, 744102, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

    C. Sivaperuman

  2. Zoological Survey of India, PraniVigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, 700053, West Bengal, India

    K. Venkataraman

Authors
  1. C. Sivaperuman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Venkataraman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Sivaperuman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Entomology and Nematology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

    Akshay Kumar Chakravarthy

  2. Department of Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra (GKVK), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

    Shakunthala Sridhara

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sivaperuman, C., Venkataraman, K. (2016). Butterfly Communities of Ritchie’s Archipelago in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India: Implications for Conservation of Arthropods and Their Habitats. In: Chakravarthy, A., Sridhara, S. (eds) Economic and Ecological Significance of Arthropods in Diversified Ecosystems. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1524-3_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation