The butterfly fauna of the Pilliga Forest, a large woodland remnant in the Brigalow Belt South bioregion in northern inland New South Wales, Australia
Michael J. Murphy
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, PO Box 105, Baradine, NSW 2396, Australia. Email: michael.murphy@environment.nsw.gov.au
Pacific Conservation Biology 25(2) 193-203 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC18002
Submitted: 1 January 2018 Accepted: 22 July 2018 Published: 16 August 2018
Abstract
Sixty-three butterfly species representing five families have been recorded from the Pilliga Forest in northern inland New South Wales – the largest surviving remnant of native forest on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range. This is one of the richest recorded butterfly faunas of any location on the New South Wales western slopes and adjacent plains, reflecting the location of the Pilliga Forest in a biogeographic overlap zone between northern and southern faunal assemblages with proximity to both the western plains and outliers of the mesic eastern highlands. No narrow-range endemic species or species of state or national conservation concern were recorded; however, half of the species recorded have patchy, discontinuous distributions within their broad range due to specific habitat requirements. Some minor western range extensions are recorded and two hilltopping sites are documented. This study highlights the significant biodiversity conservation value of the Pilliga Forest in the predominantly cleared western slopes bioregions.
Additional keywords: biogeographic overlap zone, butterfly conservation, hilltopping, Lepidoptera, range extension
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