Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) fauna of Jabalpur City, Madhya Pradesh, India

The present study was carried out to reveal the butterfly species diversity in the Jabalpur City, Madhya Pradesh, India.  Study was carried out from January 2008 to 2018. A total of 112 species were recorded, with an addition of 41 new species for Jabalpur district and one species for the state of Madhya Pradesh.  Of the total, 42 species were very common, five were frequent common, 18 were rare, and four were very rare. Nymphalidae was dominant with 39 species, followed by Lycaenidae with 38, Pieridae with 15 species, Hesperiidae with 14, Papilionidae with eight and Riodinidae with one species.  About six species of the recorded ones come under the protection category of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.  The study illustrated the value of Jabalpur City area in hosting valuable resources for butterflies.