Diversity of butterfly fauna in Xinglongshan National Nature Reserve of Gansu Province

To explore the diversity of butterfly fauna in the Xinglongshan National Nature Reserve of Gansu Province, eight sample lines, Majiasi (Ⅰ), Guantangou (Ⅱ), Xinglongshan (Ⅲ),Yinshan (Ⅳ), Hongzhuangzi Gou-Luotuoxian-Matan (Ⅴ),Qianjiawan-Xujiaxia-Fenhuocha (Ⅵ), Yaogou-Shuanglonggou (Ⅶ) and Maxianshan (Ⅷ), from five forestry stations were selected to investigate butterfly resources. A total of 1 271 butterfly specimens were collected and identified, belonging to 65 species, 42 genera, and 7 families. Nymphalidae, with the most species (21), and Satyridae, with the most individuals (729), were the dominant families. Papilionidae and Parnassiidae, with only 1 species, were regarded as rare. The diversity index, species richness, similarity coefficients, and the butterfly fauna were also calculated and analyzed. The results showed that the diversity of butterflies was different among the eight sample areas, of which the line Ⅳ had the highest index and the lowest dominance index, the line Ⅱ had the lowest biodiversity index and species richness, line a had the lowest evenness index and the dominance index only less than that of line Ⅳ, line Ⅷ showed the lowest quantity in number of families, genera, species, and individuals, and the highest evenness index. Because the changes between habitats affected the diversity of butterflies, we suggest that it is necessary to protect the environment and plant hosts so as to ensure the diversity of butterflies and other organism in the long term. The fauna in Xinglong Mountain National Nature Reserve consisted of palaearctic species occupying 46.154%, oriental species occupying 3.077%, and widely distributed species occupied 50.769%, which showed that the widely distributed species were dominant, and the palaearctic species were more numerous than the oriental species.