Cirsium wallichii DC. (Asteraceae): a key nectar source of butterflies
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Abstract
Abstract: Butterfly diversity and abundance depend on the diversity of foraging resources and nectar characteristics. Several wild plants of the family Asteraceae often considered as weeds, are important nectar sources for butterflies. The present communication reports Cirsium wallichii as a key nectar source for a large number of butterfly species during the summer season in Benog Wildlife Sanctuary, Mussoorie, western Himalaya. Of the total recorded species of butterflies (62), a maximum species (22) belongs to the Nymphalidae family followed by Hesperiidae (13), and Lycaenidae (11) that visits C. wallichii. Therefore, it is suggested that Cirsium wallichii has an important role in sustaining butterfly diversity.
Keywords: Mussoorie, Lepidoptera, .
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