Comparative Analysis of Butterfly Diversity and Community Structure in Two Distinct Protected Areas of the Western Ghats, India

The Western Ghats of India represent a globally significant biodiversity hotspot, yet the spatial distribution of its pollinator networks remains highly localized and vulnerable to micro-climatic shifts. This study investigates the community composition and diversity of butterfly pollinators (Order: Lepidoptera) across two distinct protected areas: the Anshi-Dandeli Tiger Reserve and Kudremukh National Park. Over an eight-month sampling period (June 2024–February 2025), a total of 4,702 individuals across 103 species were recorded. Our findings reveal a highly active, yet spatially compartmentalized, pollinator network. While both habitats exhibited robust community stability, Kudremukh National Park supported significantly higher carrying capacity and species richness (N=2411, S=82) compared to Anshi-Dandeli (N=2291, S=62). Alpha diversity metrics indicated an exceptionally diverse community at Kudremukh (H' = 3.995), which was statistically significantly higher than Anshi-Dandeli (H' = 3.702, Hutcheson t-test p < 0.0001). Despite these differences in overall richness, both ecosystems were heavily dominated by the families Nymphalidae and Pieridae. Analysis of beta diversity (Jaccard Index = 0.412) demonstrated substantial spatial species turnover, indicating that less than half of the pollinator species pool is shared between the two reserves. These results underscore the high degree of localized endemism within the Western Ghats and highlight the necessity of conserving multiple, geographically distinct habitat mosaics to sustain comprehensive plant-pollinator networks.