Butterfly Diversity from Farmlands of Central Uganda

The aim of this study was to collect information about the diversity of butterfly communities in the mixed coffee-banana mosaic (seminatural, agricultural) landscapes of rural central Uganda. Data were collected for one year (2006) using fruit-bait traps, line transect walk-and-counts, and hand nets...

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Main Author: M. B. Théodore Munyuli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/481509
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author M. B. Théodore Munyuli
author_facet M. B. Théodore Munyuli
author_sort M. B. Théodore Munyuli
collection DOAJ
description The aim of this study was to collect information about the diversity of butterfly communities in the mixed coffee-banana mosaic (seminatural, agricultural) landscapes of rural central Uganda. Data were collected for one year (2006) using fruit-bait traps, line transect walk-and-counts, and hand nets. A total of 56,315 individuals belonging to 331 species, 95 genera, and 6 families were sampled. The most abundant species was Bicyclus safitza (14.5%) followed by Acraea acerata (6.3%), Catopsilia florella (6.5%) and Junonia sophia (6.1%). Significant differences in abundance, species richness, and diversity of butterflies occurred between the 26 study sites. Farmland butterflies visited a variety of habitats within and around sites, but important habitats included woodlands, fallows, hedgerows, swampy habitats, abandoned gardens, and home gardens. The highest diversity and abundance of butterflies occurred in sites that contained forest remnants. Thus, forest reserves in the surrounding of fields increased the conservation values of coffee-banana agroforestry systems for butterflies. Their protection from degradation should be a priority for policy makers since they support a species-rich community of butterflies pollinating cultivated plants. Farmers are encouraged to protect and increase on-farm areas covered by complex traditional agroforests, linear, and nonlinear seminatural habitats to provide sufficient breeding sites and nectar resources for butterflies.
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spelling doaj-art-c11bb1a604fb4269a259e8b59f08dac22025-02-03T05:46:50ZengWileyPsyche: A Journal of Entomology0033-26151687-74382012-01-01201210.1155/2012/481509481509Butterfly Diversity from Farmlands of Central UgandaM. B. Théodore Munyuli0Department of Biology and Environment, National Center for Research in Natural Sciences, CRSN-Lwiro, D.S. Bukavu, Kivu, Democratic Republic of CongoThe aim of this study was to collect information about the diversity of butterfly communities in the mixed coffee-banana mosaic (seminatural, agricultural) landscapes of rural central Uganda. Data were collected for one year (2006) using fruit-bait traps, line transect walk-and-counts, and hand nets. A total of 56,315 individuals belonging to 331 species, 95 genera, and 6 families were sampled. The most abundant species was Bicyclus safitza (14.5%) followed by Acraea acerata (6.3%), Catopsilia florella (6.5%) and Junonia sophia (6.1%). Significant differences in abundance, species richness, and diversity of butterflies occurred between the 26 study sites. Farmland butterflies visited a variety of habitats within and around sites, but important habitats included woodlands, fallows, hedgerows, swampy habitats, abandoned gardens, and home gardens. The highest diversity and abundance of butterflies occurred in sites that contained forest remnants. Thus, forest reserves in the surrounding of fields increased the conservation values of coffee-banana agroforestry systems for butterflies. Their protection from degradation should be a priority for policy makers since they support a species-rich community of butterflies pollinating cultivated plants. Farmers are encouraged to protect and increase on-farm areas covered by complex traditional agroforests, linear, and nonlinear seminatural habitats to provide sufficient breeding sites and nectar resources for butterflies.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/481509
spellingShingle M. B. Théodore Munyuli
Butterfly Diversity from Farmlands of Central Uganda
Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
title Butterfly Diversity from Farmlands of Central Uganda
title_full Butterfly Diversity from Farmlands of Central Uganda
title_fullStr Butterfly Diversity from Farmlands of Central Uganda
title_full_unstemmed Butterfly Diversity from Farmlands of Central Uganda
title_short Butterfly Diversity from Farmlands of Central Uganda
title_sort butterfly diversity from farmlands of central uganda
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/481509
work_keys_str_mv AT mbtheodoremunyuli butterflydiversityfromfarmlandsofcentraluganda