A Novel Sampling Protocol for Fruit‐Feeding Butterflies in Grasslands and Open Habitats

ABSTRACT The diversity of fruit‐feeding butterflies is generally associated with forested habitats, based on a plethora of surveys conducted worldwide. There is a knowledge gap regarding short‐term inventories and the monitoring of butterflies in grasslands and open habitats. In the few surveys available, sampling protocols have not been designed for non‐forest sites. The Pampa biome is located in Austral South America and is characterised by native grasslands, interspersed with shrubs and scattered trees. A recent compilation identified approximately 12 500 species of plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi in the Brazilian Pampa, including 513 butterflies; however, inventories and monitoring efforts for this group remain limited. Our study aims to establish and validate a sampling protocol for fruit‐feeding butterflies in non‐forest habitats. Fieldwork was conducted between 2019 and 2025 across different regions in the Brazilian Pampa with Van Someren‐Rydon bait traps. We recorded 994 individuals in 29 species of fruit‐feeding butterflies. The subfamily Satyrinae had the highest species richness and abundance, with the tribe Satyrini being the most dominant. The studied areas achieved a sampling completeness of more than 93%, indicating the effectiveness of the method. We recommend establishing this protocol as a standardised sampling procedure for grassland habitats and other open ecosystems in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.