Butterfly community (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) in a transition area of Atlantic Forest and Cerrado in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Fauna inventories function as a database to guide biota conservation policies, such as the creation of Conservation Units, especially in biomes that suffer from habitat loss. This work was developed to survey the butterfly fauna in a transition area of Atlantic Forest and Cerrado in the central-south of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, which has potential for the creation of a Conservation Unit. The study was carried out in three forest remnants in the municipalities of Barroso and Prados, from October 2020 to March 2021, using active search and attractive traps to collect specimens. A total of 555 individuals were collected comprising 164 species of butterflies, with Nymphalidae being the richest and most abundant family. Two endemic subspecies of the Cerrado were recorded, Diaethria eluina eluina and Pseudoscada acilla quadrifasciata. In conclusion, the place is home to a relevant butterfly