Handbook on Common Butterflies of Uttarakhand

The Lepidoptera (Butterflies) is an important group of insects whose members are economically important for mankind from the time immemorial. They play a key role in nature as an important component of the food chain of birds, spiders and other predatory insects. They also act as pollinators. The old relationship between the human and butterflies is today going through a period of great stress as humans by their activities are directly or indirectly threatening the existence of butterflies. The presence of butterflies depend upon the variety of factors including the climate, suitable food, appropriate adult nectar sources of other food, suitable areas for flight and courtship and in some instances, the presence of certain symbiotic species, notably ants. The actual number of known butterflies from Uttarakhand is 323 but the present pictorial handbook contains a descriptive and illustrated account of 110 species of common and fascinating butterflies belonging to nine families of the suborder Rhopalocera, order Lepidoptera that are most common in Uttarakhand. The handbook contains the scientific names of each butterfly, followed by the common name, general ecology, diagnostic characters, wingspan and distribution in the state vis-a-vis in India. The Handbook on "Common Butterflies of Uttarakhand" is an effort by the scientist of the Zoological Survey of India to provide pictorial descriptions of the beautiful insects that attract the naturalists’ and the common people. It is expected that this volume will assist scientific workers in identification of these important group of insects.