Species Diversity of Lepidoptera in Mimbilisan Protected Landscape, Misamis Oriental, Philippines

Mimbilisan Protected Landscape in Balingoan and Talisayan, Misamis Oriental ‎is a critical watershed forest that provides valuable ecological services to its host ‎municipalities and nearby communities. This study aimed to determine the ‎species diversity and endemism of Lepidoptera in the area. The method used was ‎opportunistic sampling using sweep nets for a total of 130 person-hours. Three ‎sampling sites were established. Ninety-two species of Lepidoptera comprising ‎‎62 butterflies and 30 moths under 14 families and 76 genera were documented. ‎The most abundant family observed was Nymphalidae (113 individuals, 28 ‎species). The riparian area was found to host the most number of species and ‎individuals (65 species and 161 individuals) due to its open canopy. High ‎diversity was recorded in all three sampling sites (H’=3.173-3.846). Among the ‎documented lepidopterans 22 were endemic butterflies of which five occurred ‎exclusively in Mindanao. The presence of a high number of endemic species and ‎the high level of diversity in Mimbilisan Protected Landscape indicated its ‎importance as a habitat for lepidopterans and the need for continued ‎conservation and management of the protected area‎.