Diversity of Butterflies and Moths in Wadi Gaza

Diversity of Butterflies and Moths in Wadi Gaza

Diversity and Ecology of Butterflies and Moths in Wadi Gaza, Gaza strip, Palestine

Written by: Zuhair .W. Dardona, Ayman .W. Dardona, Mohammed.A.Albayoumi

Publisher: International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 11, November 2015

Abstract of the paper: Butterflies and moths were studied in regions of Wadi Gaza, extending from Salahe El-deen bridge west to Wadi AboQatron near Wadi Gaza village to the east. The research is based on studying the diversity of butterflies and moths in terms of taxa diversity, Genera compositions, and family abundance. In terms of family abundance, the survey showed that all recorded butterflies are belonging to five main families (Pieridae, Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae). The recorded moths are also belonging to five families (Arctiidae, Crambidae, Geometridae, Noctuidae, Sphingidae). In terms of species and genera compositions and diversity, the survey revealed that butterflies are more abundant concerning diversity and richness than moths. The five families of butterflies are consisting of (19 genera) and (25 species) while the five families of moths are consisting of only (10 genera) and (11species).The butterflies represented (69 %) of recorded species in the area of study while the moths were represented in (31 %) of the findings. The most abundant family of butterflies is Pieridae with (36%) of all recorded butterflies, followed by Lycaenidae (32%). As for moths, the abundant families are Noctuidae, Geometridae, and Crambidae were each family was represented by (3 species), and they form (82%) of recorded moths. In this study all genera, in both moths and butterflies are represented only by one specie except six genera of butterflies and one genus of moths as each one is represented with two species, these six genera of butterflies are zizeeria,Vanessa, Colias, Pieris, Carcharodus, and Pointa and that genues of moths is Stemorrhages.