Butterflies (Lepidoptera) are of great economic importance. On the stage of adult most species feed nectar of flowers and therefore they are important pollinators of plants. The larvae (caterpillars) of many species are essential components of ground, soil, entomofauna agrocenosis. They are harmful to cultivated plants. About 2,000 species are detrimental to agriculture and forestry. Over 100 species of butterflies are on the brink of extinction and are listed as endangered.

A detailed study of Lepidoptera and the establishment of dominant species in biocenoses are relevant objectives and it is of practical importance to determine the degree of threat to agricultural crops.

Total number of Lepidoptera species associated with farmland and their harmfulness under the influence of abiotic and antrogenic factors is constantly changing. Thus, we should focus on monitoring and refinement of species composition.

The aim of the study is to determine the species composition and habitats of butterflies in the central steppes of Ukraine, including determination of the most dominant crop pests.

The experimental studies were conducted during 2006-2014 years on the experimental field of Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University and other farms of Kyiv and Cherkasy regions, which are located in the Central forest-steppe of Ukraine.

Observations and counts were performed during the route surveys of agrocenoses and adjacent zones, edges, fallow areas and other habitats.Accounted for an amount of butterflies throughout the growing season of plants,we used conventional methods and techniques in entomology and plant protection. The species composition of the identified insects were determined in the laboratory using the relevant literature.

As a result of studies in the Central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine it was revealed 157 species from 33 families of Lepidoptera. Analysis of the taxonomic structure of species composition of butterflies agrocenoses showed that predominant number is the family Noctuidae (Owlet moths) and Tortricidae (Tortrix moths), which account for almost half (48%) of all identified species. The same number of butterfly species, 6.4% of the total, are representative of the family Pyralidae (snout moth) and Nymphalidae (Nymphalidae). Family Geometridae (Geometrid moths) and Sphingidae (Sphingidae) are 10 and 7 species, representing respectively 5.8 and 4.5%.Species of other families in the list have a small proportion of Lepidoptera: Arctiidae (Arctiidae) - 4 types (2,6%), Pterophoridae (Plume moths), Pieridae (Pieridae), Satyridae (saturines), Lycaenidae (Lycaenidae) -on 3 species (to 1,9%), Tischeriidae (Tischerioidea) Depressariidae (Depressariinae), Gelechiidae (Gelechiid moths), Pyraustidae (Pyraustidae), Crambidae (Grass moths), Papilionidae (Papilioninae) 2 species (to 1,3%), Hepialidae (Swft moths) Opostegidae (Opostegidae), Adelidae (Fairy longhorn moths), Ochsenheimeridae (Ochsenheimeridae), Yponomeutidae (Ermine moths), Plutellidae (Plutellid moths), Lyonetiidae (Lyonetiidmoths), Scythrydae (Scythrydmoths), Momphidae (Mompha moths), Blastobasidae (Blastobasidae), Drepanidae (Drepanidae), Phycitidae (Phycitidae), Attacidae (Saturniidae), Lymantriidae (Lymantriidae), Ctenuchidae (Wasp moths), Hesperiidae (Skippers) - 1 of the form (to 0.64%).

Analysis of trophic caterpillar relationships showed thedominated number of species polifahy. The group amounted to 96 Lepidoptera species (61.5%). Most of them grew in meadows, appearing in the greenbelts and the perennial legumes. Among the pests of agricultural crops there were 32 species. The remaining oneshad economic importance. The vast majority of Lepidoptera species feed on plants that have no agricultural value.

In conclusion, all examined biocenoses were scoop gamma (Autographa gamma L.) and the exclamation scoop (Agrotis exclamationis L.). Agrocenoses occupancy of cabbage scoops (Mamestra brassica L.), painted lady (Vanessa cardui L.) and meadow butterfly (Margaritia sticticalis L.) was also high. For several years seeds of pea moth (Etiella zinckenella Tr.) were largely damaged. In 2012 on the experimental field of BNAU 98.3% of pea seeds, harvested from the areas (where chemical method was not applied) were damaged by moth larvae. It was identified that Papilio machaon L., Iphiclides podalirius L. and Catocala fraxini L. Callimorpha quadripunctata Poda had been listed in the Red Book of Ukraine (2009).

Key words: Lepidoptera, butterflies, biocenosis, agrocenoses, larvae.