I am a co-author on a new paper on the diversity of tropical butterflies in an urban habitat (the mega city of Dhaka in Bangladesh). The paper published in Oriental Insects is based on a meticulous study based on daily surveys of butterflies on the campus of the University of Dhaka carried out by the first author Shawan Chowdbury. Shawan and I got in touch via AuthorAID, which is a fantastic organisation that links keen junior researchers in the developing world with more experienced researchers. Usually the mentorship focusses on short-term help with specific manuscripts or grant applications, but in this case Shawan and I have stayed in touch through many years, and I have offered significant help with analysing and interpreting the data in the paper.
You can read more about my involvement with AuthorAID here.
Shawan Chowdhury, Thomas Hesselberg, Monika Böhm, Mir Raihanul Islam & Upama Aich (2017). Butterfly diversity in a tropical urban habitat (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea). Oriental Insects 51, 417-430. DOI: 10.1080/00305316.2017.1314230
Abstract
Butterflies are important pollinators and indicators of environmental health. Habitat destruction and fragmentation caused by developmental activities and poor natural resource management are the main reasons for the drastic decline of butterfly populations throughout the world, and prompt the need for effective conservation management. We assessed the diversity, richness, seasonal distribution and conservation priorities of butterflies in an inner-city parkland habitat (University of Dhaka, Bangladesh) and investigated the biotic, and abiotic factors affecting butterfly diversity. A total of 93 species from 5 families were recorded from January to December 2014. Nymphalidae and Papilionidae were the most and least dominant families in terms of species number. Butterflies across families generally selected nectar plants randomly, although some showed preference towards herbs. Spatial interpolation of butterfly richness indicated that the most suitable area was around Curzon Hall, an area containing different types of vegetation. Precipitation was the only abiotic factor with a significant relationship with butterfly species richness. The establishment of green areas with complex structural vegetation will improve microclimatic conditions for butterflies, promoting healthier urban ecosystems, and the conservation of butterflies and other associated species in inner-city areas.
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