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Science, Marine and Environment

DIVERSITY OF BUTTERFLY AT BUKIT MARAS AND BUKIT KEMUNTING,
TERENGGANU

Wan Muhamad Faaiz bin W Mohd Baharudin , Nurulhuda binti Zakaria *
1
1
Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu,
1
21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
*Corresponding author: nurul_huda@umt.edu.my

Butterflies are perhaps the best group of insects to be explored as they could act as a
STUDENT RESEARCH DAY 2021 in two disturbed forests which were Bukit Maras and Bukit Kemunting in Kuala Nerus, STUDENT RESEARCH DAY 2021
good indicator of environmental changes such as the landscape development and
urbanization. This study was conducted to assess and compare the diversity of butterfly

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Terengganu. Samplings were conducted between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on existing trails for
three days at each study area from January until April 2021. Butterflies were collected
by using sweep nets. A total of 173 individuals belonging to 16 species from four families
of butterflies were recorded. Family Nymphalidae recorded the highest species richness
(12 species). The least species recorded was from family Riodinidae and Papilionidae
with only one species each. The most abundant species in Bukit Maras was Ideopsis
vulgaris macrina with 12 individuals and in Bukit Kemunting was Danaus melanippus
hegesippus with 10 individuals. Both species were from family Nymphliade. Shannon
index of diversity in Bukit Kemunting (H’ = 2.62) was slightly higher than Bukit Maras (H’
= 2.39). There was a significant different in diversity between these two areas. Moderate
diversity is expected from this study since these two study areas are disturbed forests.
Low number of individual was captured in this study site due to human activities such as
recreations, agricultures and small scale farms. However, in consideration of low
sampling effort and capture technique in this study, further sampling effort and variety of
sampling techniques are needed to gain a better insight into the butterfly communities at
both study areas.

Keyword: Lepidoptera, disturbed habitat, secondary forest, hill forest, Terengganu.

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