Abstract: Butterflies are an important part of urban ecosystems and are environmental indicator species. A multidimensional study of butterfly diversity characteristics in urban parks can provide theoretical guidance for maintaining the stability of urban ecosystems. We conducted a one-year field investigation of butterfly diversity and plant species in 20 urban parks in Kunming, China. High-resolution remote sensing was used to visualize and analyze the effects of environmental factors on butterfly diversity in three dimensions: mountain-city-water spatial patterns, park landscape, and landscape micro-habitat. A total of 3562 butterflies belonging to 105 species, 67 genera, and 9 families, as well as 320 plant species belonging to 238 genera and 98 families were recorded. Butterfly diversity was generally higher in parks located near mountains and close to Dianchi Lake than that in other parks. The overall landscape area, the proportion of woodland and grassland areas, the core patch area of woodland, and the degree of woodland and grassland connectivity had a positive effect on butterfly diversity. Butterfly diversity tended to decline as the fragmentation degree of the overall landscape and artificial hardscape and the areal proportion of artificial hardscape increased. The more serious the fragmentation of grassland landscapes, the more uneven the butterfly distribution. The effects of vegetation structure and plant composition on butterfly diversity varied among seasons. Our results help explain butterfly diversity in urban park green space, providing a scientific basis for enhancing butterfly diversity in urban parks of Kunming.

Key words: spatial pattern of mountain-city-water, park landscape, landscape micro-habitat, butterfly diversity.