Borboletas (lepidoptera: papilionoidea) do parque natural municipal Longines Malinowski, Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

The insects play important roles in nature, including the order Lepidoptera, which comprises seven families of diurnal butterflies and one of nocturnal butterflies. This group presents a series of attributes of wide ecological complexity that can be observed from the detection of species in a certain location. In the urban center of Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul state is the Longines Malinowski Municipal Natural Park, a conservation unit composed by native vegetation and is used for research and leisure by the resident people. This study aims to present the composition of butterfly species in the Longines Malinowski PNM. Two methods of collecting butterflies were used: active search with entomological net and attractive baited traps. Collections took place between October 2024 and March 2025, totaling 18 collections, carried out between the hours of 8 am and 4 pm (time of the most activity of the studied group). A total of 783 individuals belonging to 127 species, present in six families of diurnal butterflies, were collected. Active collection was more effective, totaling 759 individuals from 125 species, while using attractive traps only 24 individuals from seven species were collected. The observed variation in abundance over the months was greater than the variation in richness. This study can be used as a basis for future studies, such as fauna monitoring, which is important for the conservation and management of these species in the park.