Monitoring of frugivorous Lepidoptera in the Serra da Bodoquena National Park: a field experience

Por: Gabriela Andrietta

Between March 28 and April 5, 2025, the student Maria Carolina Rodrigues V. da Cunha participated in an important field campaign focused on monitoring the biodiversity of frugivorous Lepidoptera in the Serra da Bodoquena National Park, in Bonito (MS). The action is part of the Biodiversity Monitoring Program coordinated by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and is linked to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.

The goal of the campaign was to deepen knowledge about the diversity and dynamics of frugivorous butterflies — a group that includes species that feed on decaying fruit — and understand their ecological importance in the biome. Lepidoptera, which include both butterflies and moths, perform essential functions in ecosystems, such as pollination, seed dispersal, and environmental health indicators.

On the first day of activities, traps with attractive baits were set up along previously defined trails in the National Park. The butterflies were collected daily for seven consecutive days. The species captured were identified according to their taxonomic tribe, photographed (recording the dorsal and ventral sides of the wings), marked and released—an important step in estimating the population size at the different sampling points.

Throughout the process, additional information was also collected, such as the exact location of each trap, collection times, weather conditions and the frequency of capture of the species. All data was recorded in real time using the ODK (Open Data Kit) application, a tool used by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, with the information being sent directly to the database in Brasília.

This data, together with that from other federal Conservation Units, will form a national information base for analyses on the conservation status of Brazilian biodiversity in the face of climate change and other environmental pressures. The results will serve as a basis for updating conservation policies in Brazilian biomes.

The work reinforces the importance of systematic actions to monitor biodiversity, promoting science applied to conservation and supporting effective strategies for the protection of Brazilian ecosystems.