Paper Title
Butterfly Population Decline – Impact of Microclimatic Change
Abstract
The present study focuses on population trend in Pieridae (Whites and yellows) butterflies at Bishop Heber College,Tiruchirappalli, India. The study was carried out during wet and cold season for two periods i.e. from [December 2009 to February 2010 (period1) and again in December 2015 to February 2016 (period2)] by following point count method. 6 species of pieridae (whites and yellows) butterflies were recorded during the study periods. The study revealed that there were significant decline in population of five species except Dark wanderer during the study. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted. The research signifies the impact of microclimatic change including excess rainfall, relative humidity and temperature rise and inappropriate management practices has led to decrease in butterfly population in period 2 when compared to period 1. Sustainable management practices are suggested.
Keywords - Pieridae butterflies, whites and yellows, population