Spatial distribution of butterflies in different macrohabitat in a university campus in Southern-Nigeria

Butterfly fauna remains an important bio-indicator species in maintaining a healthy habitat, agents for plant richness, amongst others. Spatial distribution of butterflies in four habitat types including shrub, forested areas, agricultural farmland and riverside using baited traps and pollard walk methods was conducted from April to August, 2019 to ascertain the records of butterfly checklist in Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. Findings of the study revealed a total of 430 individuals and 44 species of butterflies belonging to four families such as Nymphalidae Papilionidae, Pieridae, and Lycaenidae. Nymphalidae had the highest species and individuals (72.7% and 74.9%) and lowest in Lycaenidae. Of all the species collected, Acraea serena was the most abundant recording highest Shannon diversity index (H = 2.477), Simpson Dominance (1-D = 0.874), and Margalef (5.368). Alpha diversity in various habitat revealed highest Simpson Dominance (1-D = 0.893), Shannon index (H = 2.627), and Margalef index (4.932) in forest area. However, species were evenly distributed (0.682) and equitable (J = 0.834) in the riverside habitat. Abundance-Distribution Model shows high significance variation in species obtained from the shrub, agricultural farm and forested areas with an exception to the riverside habitat (χ 2 = 0.57, p = 0.99). The present study is not conclusive as future studies are required to update butterfly checklist. More so, habitat destruction or disruption, a major threat to butterfly conservation, should be placed on check.