A Study on nectar host plants of Butterflies of Pachamalai Hills of Eastern Ghats in Tamilnadu, India.

The present investigation has been carried out to enumerate the butterfly diversity greatly depends on the availability of host plants. The study has been carried from August 2014 – July 2015 in Pachamalai hills of Eastern Ghats in Tamilnadu. In the ecological site that has been observed in the native plant species of the Eastern Ghats especially in Vitex negundo, Ehretia pubescens, Premna serratifolia and Pavetta indica as well as observed in Prosopis juliflora, an invasive plant species. This study reveals that some of the native nectar host plants play a vital role in attracting butterflies and increasing the diversity of butterflies. Vitex negundo, which acts as a primary nectar host plant for a variety of species is studied in detail.