Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2016; 4(2): 115-118

E-ISSN: 2320-7078
P-ISSN: 2349-6800
JEZS 2016; 4(2): 115-118
Butterflies and their contribution in ecosystem:
© 2016 JEZS
Received: 22-01-2016
A review
Accepted: 24-02-2016

Mobeen Ghazanfar Mobeen Ghazanfar, Muhammad Faheem Malik, Mubashar Hussain,

Department of Zoology, Razia Iqbal, Misbah Younas
University of Gujrat, Hafiz
Hayat Campus, Gujrat,
Pakistan. Abstract
Butterflies play vital role in the ecosystem, there is co-evolutionary relationship between butterflies and
Muhammad Faheem Malik plants, their lives are interlinked. Butterflies are also called flying flower, displaying its beauty. These
Department of Zoology, insects enhance the aesthetic value of the environments by their exquisite wing colors. Butterflies are the
University of Gujrat, Hafiz wild indicators of the ecosystem; these insects tell us everything about the healthier ecosystem. These are
Hayat Campus, Gujrat, Pakistan effective pollinators, butterflies visit the flower to eat nectar and this is mutually beneficial relationship.
Some species of butterflies migrate over long distance; carry pollen to be shared across plants which are
Mubashar Hussain
Department of Zoology,
far apart from one another. This migration of pollens induces genetic variation in plants species and give
University of Gujrat, Hafiz a better chance at survival against different disease. These insects also provide food for other organisms,
Hayat Campus, Gujrat, for example; birds, reptiles amphibians and also acts as biological pest control. But the population of
Pakistan. these insects decline rapidly due to human activities, habitat destruction, uses of pesticides and
unawareness of people about the importance of flying flowers.
Razia Iqbal
Department of Zoology, Keywords: Butterflies, ecological indicators, pollinators, flying flower, nectar eater
University of Gujrat, Hafiz
Hayat Campus, Gujrat, Pakistan
Introduction
Misbah Younas The butterfly is a diverse insect, found in many colours and sizes. Worldwide, there are more
Department of Zoology, than 28,000 species of butterflies, with about 80 percent in tropical regions. Butterflies require
University of Gujrat, Hafiz food in liquid form [40]. Their survival depends on nectar that is produced in flowers and also
Hayat Campus, Gujrat, Pakistan
extra-ripe fruits. The butterfly plays an important role in ecosystems, acting as a pollinator, a
food source and an indicator of the ecosystem's well being. Butterflies play a big role in
pollinating flowers that open during the day.
Butterflies tend to favor big, colorful flowers that have a landing platform and gather pollen on
their long, thin legs as they sip nectar from a flower [41]. Butterflies are sensitive to climate
change, such as pollination and habitat loss, and cause them to be more responsive. Therefore,
an abundance of butterflies usually indicates a healthier ecosystem.
Many butterfly species migrate over long distances as many as 3,000 miles. These migrations
allow for pollination across long distances and have increased human interest in the species
[42]
. Butterflies contribute to ecosystem restoration because they supply pollination and a
source of food. Increased butterfly populations may indicate an increase in plant diversity and
other pollinator groups within restored areas.
Butterflies are attractive addition to flower garden and more important insect than most people
realize. As a wildlife indicator, butterflies tell us almost everything we need to know about the
health of an ecosystem Dobson, 2012 [1].
Swengel demonstrated that in ecosystem, plant and animal species live in sites with similar
combinations of soil, topography, climate and geography. Some types of vegetation must be
required for Butterfly species existence. Butterflies living in particular place have particular
habitat requirements. An interesting part of studying, localized butterflies is learning to find
out the microhabitats they require. In ecosystem natural events either favor or reduce butterfly
population’s characteristics of microhabitats occurring in that ecosystem [2].
Correspondence
Mobeen Ghazanfar
mobimubeen56@yahoo.com Review of Literature
Department of Zoology, Co-Evolution of Butterflies and Plants
University of Gujrat, Hafiz In plant reproductive phenology, general flowering reported from West Malaysia, it might be
Hayat Campus, Gujrat, expected that there is co- evolution between plants and pollinators demonstrated by Asthon et
Pakistan.
al [3]. Ehrlich demonstrates that butterflies herbivorous organisms’ coevolved with plants [4].
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Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies
 

Ehrlich and Raven [5] developed model for the co-evolution of dioxide and reduce the amount of air pollution. The
plants and butterflies and summarized the host plant caterpillars eat host plant and grow back bigger and better so,
information for the butterflies. Feeny and Gilbert described it can absorb more carbon dioxide [19].
that Co-evolution involve adaptive radiation of plants that
have evolved relative chemical protection from herbivores, Ecological Indicators of Healthier Ecosystem
followed by adaptive radiation on these plant groups of In 1988 Landres and Simberlof demonstrated that Indicator
herbivores able to get around their defenses [6, 7]. Feltwell point species indicate the physical and chemical changes in the
out that the lives of plants and butterflies are exceptionally environment, or the abundance of other species through
interlinked [8]. changes in their own abundance [20, 21]. These indicators are
Heliconius butterflies are herbivores in simple food webs known as ecological indicators [22] and main goal of indicators
consist of coevolved Host specific parasitoids and larval host is to measure the complex system without missing important
plants. Some butterflies pass plant poisons to the next trophic information [23]. In many regions of the world Lepidoptera are
level which has many evolutionary and ecological effects at accepted as the ecological indicators of the ecosystem health
the food web level [9-13]. [24-27]
. Butterflies have clear taxonomy their biology and life
history are well defined [28, 29]. Physiological tolerances;
Pollination habitat, temperature, light requirements have been quantified
[30, 31]
According to Webb, Pollination is the process in which pollens and correlations with changes in ecosystem conditions
are transferred from male parts of flower to female parts of have been determined by Bowman [32].
flower and reproduce sexually even over large areas. Nectar Ehrlich, 1984; Oostermeijer and van Swaay 1998 described
produced from flower contains nutritious vitamins, lipids, sugar, that Butterflies have high reproductive rates and are at low
amino acid etc. which is important food source for pollinators. trophic level due to this, they response quickly to
Butterflies are also pollinators and visit the flower to eat nectar; environmental stress. Many butterflies specialize on a specific
tiny scales on the butterfly bodies brush against anthers and plant species for oviposition or feeding [26, 33]. Butterflies tend
pollen adhere to scales. Now the butterfly visit to another flower, to be easy to find and measure. In a particular habitat if
the pollen which attach to its scales brush in to the flower’s butterfly is endangered then the plants, insects and vertebrates
stigma. These insects are attractive and interesting [14]. live in that habitat are also at risk. Therefore endangered
Baker demonstrates that nectar of many flowers, at which butterflies serve as barometer of natural conditions in that
adult Lepidoptera feed, contains significant concentrations of a habitat [34].
wide range of amino acids, which must contribute to its According to Dobson, 2012, in the last ten years 72% butterfly
nutritional value [15]. American Heliconius butterflies enrich and moth species have declined. Butterflies react quickly to
their nectar diet by collecting pollen grains, mixing them with minor changes in the environment, providing an alarming
nectar in the coils of the haustellum and ingesting the amino signal for other reductions in wildlife and making them good
acids that diffuse from pollen grains [7]. Amino acids ingested indicator of biodiversity. So, they are best monitored group of
are of major significance in adult maintenance and insects in the world [1]. Some butterfly species are very
reproductive capacity [10]. Breeden demonstrates that the sensitive to even light disturbance of natural forest. These
butterfly proboscis adapted for reaching nectar at the base of species of butterflies are good indicators for natural forest [19].
long tubed flowers. Different species vary greatly in proboscis
length. Butterflies are diurnal and some smaller skippers Provide Food for Other Organisms
(Hesperiidae), are only capable of using shallow blossoms like Butterflies provide food for number of animals such as birds,
Melaleuca sieberi (Myrtaceae), in which the nectar is easily reptiles, amphibians etc. and caterpillars provide an occasional
accessible [16]. Butterflies with longer proboscides can use the meal for scorpions and ants. Eggs of some flies and wasps live
long, narrowly tubular blossoms of such genera as Pimelea as parasites inside catterpillar’s body and feed on it. If
(Thymelaeaceae) and Calytrixt (Myrtaceae), in which the populations of butterfly diminish, then population of birds,
nectar are deeply concealed in the Calytrix flower type. mice and other animals that rely on them as food source will
In Sarawak, Malaysia, (Momose) Butterfly pollinated flowers also reduce. This loss will collapse the entire ecosystem [19].
are tubular and brush likes shapes. Butterfly pollinated flowers Stephen Dickie, explains: "Birds plan their whole breeding
of family Leguminosae, Verbenaceae and Rubiaceae were season around when caterpillars will be most abundant. If
odorless and orange in color when fresh, but they remained in butterflies and caterpillar are depleted then there will be less
inflorescence, turn reddish even after pollination and this food for developing chicks" [1].
phenomenon was common in tubular flowers like Ixora spp.,
Rubiaceae and brush flowers like Bauhinia spp. Leguminosae Predators
[17]
. Some butterfly larvae feed on harmful insect for example
Hoverfly larvae are Predators of aphids [33] so, caterpillars are
Genetic Variation in Plant Species also use as biological pest control.
Kearney point out that butterflies collect nectar from plant
species, which induce genetic variation in the plants. Some A Flying Flower and Magic
butterfly species migrate over long distance and share pollens Feltwell demonstrates that adults and larvae of butterflies are
across plants which are far away from one another. This helps closely associated with plants; their beautiful and delicate
plants to recover against disease and gives them a better wing colors enhance the aesthetic value of environment [8].
chance at survival [18]. In 2013 Kumar explain that butterfly is a living flower,
displaying its beauty wherever it goes. The bright colors of
Reduce Pollution wings stand out against the blue sky and green foliage,
Some species of butterfly help to reduce the air pollution. attracting its mates. The bright colors prevent some potential
These species decrease the carbon dioxide in the air. The host predators by suggesting bad taste or poison. Before the start of
plants of monarch butterflies and caterpillars absorb carbon winter, fragile Monarch butterfly migrate up to 2, 000 miles,

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Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies
 

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