Diversidade biológica, plantas hospedeiras e nectíferas e a preservação biológica das borboletas de Belém, Pará (lepidoptera: papilionoidea)

Abstract

The urban environment represents a potentially hostile habitat for Amazonian wildlife. Large cities, such as Belém, Pará, harbor few species of butterflies of the regional fauna and those found in the city should be known in order to better promote their biological conservation. This work documented the urban butterfly fauna of Belém, through collections, bibliographic research, and the reorganization of the systematic collections of the Goeldi Museum. The composition and relative abundance of butterfly species in urban and peri-urban areas were determined. Collections were made in the municipality of Benevides, using traps with fermented banana baits and entomological nets. The collection at the Goeldi Museum identifies specimens collected in the outskirts of the city, some dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Some species of butterflies from Belém are represented by only one specimen, while others, like Mechanitis polymnia, have many specimens. Thus, the collection is not representative of the urban fauna, but some species of Belém butterflies recorded in the collection have not been collected in recent years. The butterfly fauna of Belém is composed of approximately 111 species identified so far. In general, butterflies of the Riodinidae and Lycaenidae families are poorly collected compared to those of the Pieridae, Papilionidae, and Nymphalidae families. Belém has at least 22 species of Pieridae, 21 of Papilionidae, and 67 of Nymphalidae. Cultivation of butterfly host and nectiferous plants in urban gardens may be the key to biological conservation of these animals that share the space of Bethlehem with us.