<b>Diversity of Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) in Three Distinct Locations in Central Panama during an El Niño Period</b>

Panama's rich butterfly diversity, owing to its position as a biological bridge between North America and South America, remains insufficiently documented. To address this, we conducted a noninvasive modified Pollard walk survey over 20 days, between May 20 and June 14, 2023, focusing on central Panama: Panama City (high urbanization, low elevation), Cerro Azul (moderate urbanization, high elevation), and Gamboa (low urbanization, low elevation). This study aimed to assess butterfly diversity in natural habitats across these three distinct locations. We identified 310 species from all papilionoid families except Hedylidae, recording 1,803 individuals. The abundance was relatively low, potentially due to the impact of El Niño conditions. Panama City yielded 137 species and 474 individuals (8 days), Cerro Azul yielded 58 species and 221 individuals (4 days), and Gamboa yielded 220 species and 1,108 individuals (8 days). The Shannon index was highest for Gamboa (4.59) and lowest for Cerro Azul (3.59), whereas Pielou’s evenness index was slightly greater for Cerro Azul (0.88) than for Gamboa and Panama City (0.85). Rarefaction analysis revealed that Gamboa had the highest diversity in terms of species richness (q = 0), Shannon diversity (q = 1), and Simpson’s diversity (q = 1), followed by Panama City and Cerro Azul, emphasizing that species diversity tends to be greater at lower elevations and in less urbanized areas. This study provides valuable insights into the butterfly fauna of central Panama, contributing to understanding biodiversity and highlighting the need for long-term research and conservation.巴拿马拥有丰富的蝴蝶多样性，因其地处南北美洲之间的生物桥梁地带，相关研究记录仍较为匮乏。为填补这一研究空白，我们于2023年5月20日至6月14日期间开展了为期20天的非侵入式改良Pollard步道调查（noninvasive modified Pollard walk survey），调查区域集中在巴拿马中部的三处地点：巴拿马城（高城市化程度、低海拔）、阿苏尔山（Cerro Azul，中等城市化程度、高海拔）以及甘博阿（Gamboa，低城市化程度、低海拔）。本研究旨在评估这三处不同生境的自然栖息地内的蝴蝶多样性。 本次调查共鉴定出除缰蝶科（Hedylidae）外的所有凤蝶总科类群，计310个物种，累计记录个体1803只。种群丰度相对偏低，推测或受厄尔尼诺（El Niño）气候条件的影响。各调查点的结果如下：巴拿马城调查8天，记录137个物种、474只个体；阿苏尔山调查4天，记录58个物种、221只个体；甘博阿调查8天，记录220个物种、1108只个体。 多样性指数方面，香农-威纳指数（Shannon index）以甘博阿最高（4.59），阿苏尔山最低（3.59）；而皮卢均匀度指数（Pielou’s evenness index）则以阿苏尔山略高（0.88），略高于甘博阿与巴拿马城（0.85）。稀化分析（rarefaction analysis）结果显示，在物种丰富度（q=0）、香农多样性指数（q=1）与辛普森多样性指数（Simpson’s diversity，q=1）层面，甘博阿的多样性均位居首位，其次为巴拿马城与阿苏尔山，这表明物种多样性往往在低海拔、低城市化程度的区域更高。 本研究为巴拿马中部蝴蝶区系提供了宝贵的基础数据，有助于深化对区域生物多样性的认知，并凸显了长期监测与保护研究的必要性。