Abstract: A fourtime investigation with line transect method was conducted on the butterfly diversity in Yinpingshan Nature Reserve of Dongguan in 2010-2011. Fortytwo species of butterfly belonging to 31 genera and 9 families were identified. Pieridae had the most abundant individuals, followed by Papilionidae, Nymphalidae, and Satyridae. Nymphalidae was the highest in species richness, followed by Papilionidae, and Pieridae. The Shannon index and abundance of the butterfly were the highest in July, followed by in May,  November, and February. Due to the rapid social and economic development, the Yinpingshan Nature Reserve suffered great environmental stress, leading to the significantly lower species richness and abundance of butterfly than that in the peripheral areas of the Pearl River Delta. It was suggested that more attention should be taken to restore and improve the environmental quality during the process of urban development, so that the biodiversity could be effectively protected.

Key words: “5·12&rdquo, Wenchuan earthquake, landslide, soil nutrient, spatial variability, geostatistics.