Diversity of butterflies (Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea) in three locations of Sierra de Huautla Morelos, México

This paper aims to generate an inventory of the species and assess the diversity of butterflies (Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea) in three locations of the Sierra de Huautla: San Miguel de los Elotes, Huautla-Ajuchitlan, in the Municipality of Tlaquiltenango and El Limón de Cuahuichichinola in the Municipality of Tepalcingo, Morelos, Mexico. In each of the locations, 12 samplings, at an altitude of between 800 and 1300 m were performed. Collections were carried out periodically for three days every month for a year from April 2013 to March 2014. Two collection methods were used: aerial network and Van Someren-Rydon traps, the latter with bait containing a mixture of beer, sugar and banana peel. A total of 2,972 specimens belonging to 120 species, 84 genera, six families (Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae, Riodinidae and Hesperiidae), and two superfamilies (Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea) were recorded. The most commonly found species were Memphis pithyusa, Anaea aidea, Cissia similis from the Nymphalidae family. Eurema daira, Pyrisitia proterpia, Phoebis sennae marcellina and Eurema boisduvaliana from the Pieridae family and Hemiargus ceraunus astenidas and Leptotes marina from the Lycaenidae family. For the diversity analysis, the authors used the concept of true diversities according to Jost (2006), whose unit of measurement is the effective number of species. In other words, it measures the diversity a community comprising equally common species would have. The preliminary results of the true alpha diversity of order 1(1Dα) were 6.38 for San Miguel de los Elotes, 22.47 for Huautla - Ajuchitlán and 30.05 for El Limón de Cuauchichinola. The most diverse place therefore being El Limón de Cuachichinola. For the beta diversity, or replacement rate, the three communities were compared in paired and the results were as follows: For San Miguel de los Elotes vs Huautla-Ajuchitlan 1.46; Huautla-Ajuchitlan vs El Limon de Cuauchichinola 1.16 and San Miguel de los Elotes vs El Limon de Cuauchichinola 1.42. This research is intended to reduce the shortage of information on insect diversity in Mexico’s dry forests.