Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:10:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JoseEDB_DISSERT.pdf: 1252363 bytes, checksum: d72ba53b4d6eea90138b2ec7108318a4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-16 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / The extent of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, a global biodiversity hotspot, has been reduced to less than 7% of its original range. Yet, it contains one of the richest butterfly fauna in the world. Butterflies are commonly used as environmental indicators, mostly because of their strict association with host plants, microclimate and resource availability. This research describes diversity, composition and species richness of frugivorous butterflies in a forest fragment in the Brazilian Northeast. It compares communities in different physiognomies and seasons. The climate in the study area is classified as tropical rainy, with two well defined seasons. Butterfly captures were made with 60 Van Someren-Rydon traps, randomly located within six different habitat units (10 traps per unit) that varied from very open (e.g. coconut plantation) to forest interior. Sampling was made between January and December 2008, for five days each month. I captured 12090 individuals from 32 species. The most abundant species were Taygetis laches, Opsiphanes invirae and Hamadryas februa, which accounted for 70% of all captures. Similarity analysis identified two main groups, one of species associated with open or disturbed areas and a second by species associated with shaded areas. There was a strong seasonal component in species composition, with less species and lower abundance in the dry season and more species and higher abundance in the rainy season. K-means analysis indicates that choice of habitat units overestimated faunal perceptions, suggesting less distinct units. The species Taygetis virgilia, Hamadryas chloe, Callicore pygas e Morpho achilles were associated with less disturbed habitats, while Yphthimoides sp, Historis odius, H. acheronta, Hamadryas feronia e Siderone marthesia likey indicate open or disturbed habitats. This research brings important information for conservation of frugivorous butterflies, and will serve as baseline for future projects in environmental monitoring / Um dos hotspots da biodiversidade mundial, a Mata Atl?ntica encontra-se reduzida a apenas 7% de sua ?rea original. Ainda assim, apresenta uma das mais ricas faunas de borboletas do mundo. Borboletas s?o usadas com freq??ncia em avalia??o ambiental, pois mostram forte associa??o com plantas hospedeiras, microclima e padr?es de disponibilidade de recursos, sendo bons indicadores de diversidade e integridade ambiental. Este trabalho descreve a diversidade, composi??o e riqueza de esp?cies de borboletas frug?voras em um fragmento de Mata Atl?ntica do nordeste brasileiro, comparando a composi??o entre fisionomias distintas e sua sazonalidade. A ?rea apresenta clima tropical chuvoso com duas esta??es bem definidas, seca e chuvosa. As capturas foram feitas com 60 armadilhas do tipo Van Someren-Rydon, instaladas em seis unidades amostrais (10 armadilhas por unidade), que variaram desde uma ?rea aberta (p. ex. planta??o de coqueiros) at? ambientes de interior de mata. As coletas foram feitas entre janeiro e dezembro de 2008 por cinco dias consecutivos de cada m?s. Foram capturados 12090 indiv?duos pertencentes a 32 esp?cies. As esp?cies mais abundantes foram Taygetis laches, Opsiphanes invirae e Hamadryas februa, que somaram 70% do total das capturas. A an?lise de similaridade identificou dois grupos principais, o primeiro composto por unidades mais impactadas e/ou abertas e o segundo, com as unidades em mata ou ?reas mais fechadas. Foi observado um forte componente sazonal, com menos esp?cies e menor abund?ncia no per?odo seco e mais esp?cies e maior abund?ncia no per?odo chuvoso. A an?lise de K-means revelou que as escolhas das unidades superestimou a percep??o da fauna, sugerindo menos unidades distintas. As esp?cies Taygetis virgilia, Hamadryas chloe, Callicore pygas e Morpho achilles sinalizam ambientes menos perturbados, enquanto que Yphthimoides sp, Historis odius, H. acheronta, Hamadryas feronia e Siderone marthesia potencialmente indicam ambientes abertos ou impactados. Este trabalho traz informa??es importantes para a conserva??o das esp?cies de frug?voras, como tamb?m servir? de guia para futuros projetos de monitoramento ambiental