Butterflies are a type of insect from the Order Lepidoptera that have a combination of very varied color patterns that are of great interest to the public. It is a pollinator of many species of flowers (Rizki et al., 2022). Butterflies have been used to show ecological examples of species responses to change, and because their ectotherm characteristics are a good group for observing the effects of extreme climate events, such as drought and heavy rainfall, they have been shown to damage butterfly survival, causing local extinction events (Zulaikha et al., 2022). The presence of butterfly species in high abundance indicates that the species plays an important role in its habitat; therefore, it can be used as an indicator of habitat conditions (Source not found, n.d.).

Increased human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, increasing carbon emissions, naturalization, and other practices, have exacerbated global warming. In addition to humans, such environmental changes affect all living things, including insects, and can be caused by several factors, such as loss of larval feeding habitat, nectar sources and overwintering habitat, adaptability and productivity problems in their new habitat, attacks by natural enemies, and changes in wind patterns. In addition, an increase in temperature can cause changes in butterfly morphology, such as a reduced wing size, which reduces flight activity (DH & E, 2022). Studies conducted in West Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan found that butterfly diversity was affected by habitat degradation, whereas fragmentation did not significantly influence butterfly communities. Degraded habitats can lead to a decrease in the number of butterfly species and a shift in the composition of butterfly communities (Harmonis & Saud, 2017).

Several surveys of butterfly species richness and abundance along the artificial-rural gradient have found significant declines in butterfly diversity as the proportion of artificial land increases (Millah et al., 2023);(León-Cortés et al., 2019). Butterfly abundance can also be caused by warm and humid climatic conditions, abundant flowering plants, and fewer artificial habitats, and the effects vary greatly depending on life stage (Koneri et al., 2019). Natural vegetation is an important factor determining the dependence and survival of butterflies in a particular habitat. One butterfly habitat is a green open space, which decreases with the expansion of cities and artificialization. Not only does this affect the degradation of their habitat, but it also affects the decline in plant species diversity, water quality, and increases air and soil pollution.

Several studies have been conducted on butterfly diversity in the natural and modified habitats of Indonesia. One study conducted in Jember, East Java, investigated the impact of agroforestry management on butterfly diversity (Kuussaari et al., 2020). Another study in Langsa, Aceh examined butterfly diversity in an isolated urban forest (Setiawan et al., 2020). A study in Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, analyzed the abundance and diversity of butterflies in the Lombok Island Botanical Forest Park (Ilhamdi et al., 2023). A study in Lumajang, East Java, analyzed butterfly community structures in various habitats (Odum, 1998). Finally, a study in Central Kalimantan investigated butterfly diversity in palm oil plantations (Noor & Zen, 2015). These studies show that butterfly diversity varies depending on the habitat type and management practices.

Based on this background, research is needed on differences in butterfly diversity in the Bahorok District area because it is still not widely explored and there is limited research. Finally, a study on butterfly diversity was conducted at this location. This study is the first record and is expected to provide detailed information for better management and conservation of butterflies in the area. Comparison of butterfly habitats that have changed functions from natural (Buffer Areas) to modified habitats. This study aimed to identify differences in butterfly diversity and composition between natural and modified habitats, and to examine the relationship between environmental factors and butterfly richness and diversity.

The observations show that most of the Nymphalidae were found, namely, 35 species in natural and modified habitats. (Aprilia et al., 2020) stated that many members of Nymphalidae are polyphagous. This polyphagous nature means that if the main host is unavailable, butterflies can still use other plants suitable for larval feeding. Various flowers and host plants invite butterflies to lay eggs on suitable host plants, usually called nectaring. Similar research results in several locations, such as SM Dangku and Sembilang National Parks (Aprilia et al., 2020) and on the Sriwijaya University campus (Setiawan et al., 2020). Based on a study by (Nikmah et al., 2021), it was discovered that the Nymphalidae family had the highest proportion of species in all habitat types. This is because this family has the most species in the Rhopalocera suborder, so the possibility of encountering more various species from this family is even greater. This is in accordance with the statement of (Setiawan et al., 2020) that Nymphalidae has the highest number of species in the Rhopalocera suborder. The occurrence of butterflies in a certain place has a preference for certain host plants and flowers.

While the difference in the family Nymphalidae was not statistically significant, there was a trend that natural habitats supported higher abundance compared to modified habitats. This trend requires further research to determine whether these results are consistent across sites or whether they are local variations. According to (Lestari et al., 2015), in North Lawu, Central Java, the Nymphalidae Family is the most common butterfly found in both the number of species and individuals, accounting for 46.7% of all butterflies obtained. (Sabran et al., 2021) explained that the life of butterflies of the Nymphalidae Family is supported by many food plants, both larval and imago.

The abundance of the Papilionidae Family was higher in modified habitats. A study by (Han et al., 2021) reported that urban parks and green open spaces often support butterfly survival more than forests. One of the main reasons for this is the increased availability of flowering plants in these open spaces, which provide a necessary source of nectar for adult butterflies. This study also showed that the conservation and design of urban green spaces play an important role in maintaining butterfly diversity. Habitat fragmentation in urban areas leads to the creation of smaller and more open pockets of habitats, which indirectly favors the presence of butterflies. In urban environments Papilionidae and other butterfly species tend to be more adaptable to various environmental conditions and abundant resources, such as host plants and nectar (León-Cortés et al., 2019).

The findings of this study indicate that the Pieridae family has the highest number of individuals compared with other butterfly families. This prevalence is attributed to the cosmopolitan nature of the Pieridae Family and the availability of a wide variety of plants that serve as food sources. The cosmopolitan nature of Pieridae makes its species and individuals common across different environments (Wei et al., 2022). Furthermore, butterflies of the Pieridae Family can tolerate extreme environmental conditions, enabling them to thrive in diverse habitats (Rohman et al., 2019).

The abundance and diversity of species and individuals were higher in natural habitats. An independent t-test showed a significant difference in the average number of butterfly individuals between those found in natural and modified habitats. Based on the results of the t-test analysis, only the Family Lycaenidae showed a significant difference in abundance between natural and modified habitats. Among the five families found, the Nymphalidae Family had the highest number of species, and the Pieridae Family had the highest number of individuals. Based on the values of the Shannon-Winner index (H’) and Margalaf richness index (R), the natural habitat was classified as high. In the Simpson index and evenness, the values of the two habitats were too different and classified as high.