Nymphalid butterfly communities in an amazonian forest fragment

Abstract

Species diversity and abundance of fruit-feeding nymphalid butterflies were studied in an Amazon rain forest fragment. Butterflies were caught in baited traps in twelve areas, selected to sample a gradient of increasing disturbance. Measurements of six parameters of vegetation structure were also taken to estimate the disturbance. A total of 90 butterfly species were trapped. The greatest alpha diversities were found at the edge of the forest and in areas of intermediate disturbance. Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) showed that the composition of the species assemblages of nymphalids was related to vegetation structure variables, especially girth at breast height and number of tree morpho-species. The butterfly fauna appeared more similar in forested areas than in the disturbed ones. Some species were suggested as habitat indicators and the value of this guild of fruit-feeding butterflies in conservation programs is discussed.