Fauna of butterfly species in Xiama forest area of Tianzhu

From 2008 to 2010,the authors systematically examined and collected butterfly species at different elevations and in different vegetation types in the Xiama forest area of Tianzhu between July and September.2 000 specimens belonging to 71 species,8 families and 50 genera were identified and classified.The families found,their number of genera and species and their respective proportion of all species,were;Pieridae,9 genera and 20 species(28.2%) ,Nymphalidae,15 genera and 15 species(21.2%) ,Satyridae,13 genera and 14 species(19.7%) ,Parnassidae(1 genus and 9 species) ,Lycaenidae(8 genera and 8 species) ,Hesperiidae(2 genera and 2 species) ,Papilionidae(1 genus and 2 species) and Riodinidae(1 genus and 1 species) .The Nymphalidae and the Satyridae were comprised of less dominant species,the Parnassidae and Lycaenidae are relatively common and the Hesperiidae,Papilionidae and Riodinidae are relatively rare.According to the global biogeographic classification system,51 species(71.8%) belong to the Palaearctic region,14 species(19.7%) belong to both the Palaearctic and the Oriental regions and 6 species(8.5%) are cosmopolitan.There were no species belonging exclusively to the Oriental region.Most butterfly species in this area are therefore from the Palaearctic region.