• Panchali Sengupta

Relationship between herbivore insects and their respective food plants constitute the central theme of any investigation on community ecology. Heterogeneous environment with fluctuating floristic composition and structure, influence the distribution of butterflies in a non-random manner based on the pattern of larval and adult resource distribution. Therefore the present study was designed to identify toxin (predominantly glycosides and alkaloids) based plant species preferred by butterflies. Subsequently their polyphagy index and niche breadth was determined to highlight their utilization of larval resource. Exploitation of damaged plant substrates by adult species was also recognised. 16 Danainae butterflies as larvae were observed feeding on glycoside rich plant species while damaged parts of pyrrolizidine alkaloid rich plant were recognised by adults. Euploea core with highest niche breadth and polyphagy index was indicative of their utilization of widest repertoire of larval food plants. Feeding guild of adult butterflies was represented by regression analysis. Hierarchial Clustering was employed to create a dendrogram for identification of probable clusters formed among danainae species based upon their similarity in larval resource utilization. Highest Shannon - Wiener Function values for Ageratum conyzoides revealed the maximum information content generated by them in turn attracting the largest assemblages of adult butterflies. Thus phylogenetic conservatism in adaptation to different phytochemical profile of their host plants probably forms the basis of such preference among lepidopterans.

Alkaloids; butterflies; Cardiac glycosides; danainae; polyphagy

"Toxin mediated plant choice among Danainae butterflies from the districts of West Bengal, India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 8, page no.d394-d401, August-2023, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2308348.pdf

"Toxin mediated plant choice among Danainae butterflies from the districts of West Bengal, India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 8, page no. ppd394-d401, August-2023, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2308348.pdf