Larval Hostplant Specificity in Butterflies: Patterns and Ecological Implications in and Around Southern Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

In order to emphasize patterns of host specificity and their ecological implications, the current study examines larval host plant availability and usage among butterfly species throughout four study sites namely Nemaligundla, Seshachalam Bioreserve, Buggavanka and Nallamala forest area during April 2023 to March 2026. 53 species of butterflies from five families the Nymphalidae (14), Lycaenidae (11), Papilionidae (8), Pieridae (16) and Hesperiidae (4) as well as the host plants they were connected with were identified. The findings showed a high level of host specialization within the butterfly population, with monophagous species predominating, followed by polyphagous and oligophagous feeders. Important plant families that sustain a variety of butterfly species as larval resources include the Fabaceae, Capparaceae, Rutaceae, and Apocynaceae. The study also showed that host plant availability differed between study sites, with a number of plants being widely dispersed, including Calotropis gigantea, Ficus racemosa, grasses, Ziziphus spp. and Pongamia pinnata. Butterfly abundance and host plant availability were found to be strongly correlated, with species linked to widely accessible plants being more common and those reliant on scarce host plants being more uncommon. These results highlight how important host plant diversity and distribution are in determining butterfly assemblages. Overall, the study emphasizes how crucial it is to preserve native host plants in order to preserve butterfly variety and recommends that habitat management plans concentrate on protecting plant species that serve both specialist and generalist butterflies.