Biodiversity, Checklist, ID Guide, Insects, Lepidoptera, Moths

A Preliminary Checklist of the Moths of Kerala, India

Balakrishnan Valappil

Nest, Santhinagar, Kizhuparamba PO, Areekode Via, Malappuram District, 673 639, Kerala, India. Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8243-5320
[email protected]
 
Published in: Malabar Trogon 18(1): 10-39. PDF

Our knowledge of the moth fauna of India is largely based on earlier studies of G. F. Hampson (1892-1896), F. Moore (1882-87), T. R. D. Bell & F. B. Scott (1937) and Cotes & Swinhoe (1887-89). Although a series of revisionary studies have been carried out subsequently from different geographical regions (Kirti & Singh 2015, 2016; Shubhalaxmi 2018; Mathew & Rahmathulla 1995), no exhaustive study has so far been carried out from the Kerala State, which is known for its rich faunal diversity.

The present checklist includes moths observed from March 2019 till January 2020 at various locations in Kerala, as well as moths reared and also encountered during butterfly walks and surveys during the period of 2007-2019.

Methodology and Results

A moth screen was setup using a white cloth and actinic lamps. Moths were recorded by taking photographs at the site at regular intervals throughout the night. No specimen was collected at any location. The identification was done comparing the photographs with available literature on moths and databases on the Internet.

The locations at Kakkayam (Malabar WLS), Kozhikode district, Pookkode in Wayanad district and Atti area of Malappuram district were the most productive sites. At Kakkayam the total number of species photographed exceeded 500.

During the entire survey period (2007-2019), an estimated 2000 or more species were photographed. All the identified species are listed here: a total of 844 species belonging to 34 families. The family Erebidae dominated with 264 species followed by Crambidae 184 species and Geometridae 178 species.

Around 300 species of moths were reared between 2016 and 2019. Some of the species reared were not encountered on the moth screens. The Malayalam names given are based on various factors like their appearance, behavior, biology and their host plants.

The diversity-wise observation data is listed in Table 1 (above). The detailed systematic checklist with some of the Malayalam names is given in Table 2. The systematics and nomenclature followed is after www.inaturalist.org

REFERENCES

  • Bell, T. R. D., & Scott, F. B., 1937. Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma, Vol 5. Sphingidae. London: Taylor & Francis. Pp. 1-537.
  • Cotes, E. C., & C. C. Swinhoe., 1887–1889. A Catalogue of Moths of India. Part I-VI: Sphinges, Bombyces, Noctues, Pseudo-Deltoids and Deltoids, Geometrites, Pyrales, Crambites, Tortrices and Addenda. Calcutta: Printed by order of the Trustees of the Indian Museum. Pp. 1-812.
  • Hampson, G. F., 1892. The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma, Moths – Vol 1. London: Taylor and Francis, London. Pp. 1-527.
  • Hampson, G. F., 1894. The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma, Moths – Vol 2. London: Taylor and Francis, London. Pp. 1-609.
  • Hampson, G. F., 1895. The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma, Moths – Vol 3. London: Taylor and Francis, London. Pp. 1-546.
  • Hampson, G. F., 1896. The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma, Moths – Vol 4. London: Taylor and Francis, London. Pp. 1-594.
  • Kirti J. S., & Singh, N., 2015. Arctiid Moths of India, Volume 1. New Delhi: Nature Books India. Pp. 1-205.
  • Kirti, J. S., & Singh, N., 2016. Arctiid moths of India, Volume 2. New Delhi: Nature Books India. Pp. 1-214.
  • Mathew, G., & Rahamathulla, V. K., 1995. Biodiversity in the Western Ghats – A study with reference to moths (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) in the Silent Valley National Park, India. Entomon 20 (2): 25-33.
  • Moore, F., 1882-83. The Lepidoptera of Ceylon, Vol 2. London: L. Reeve & Co. Pp. 1-162, Pl. 1-143.
  • Moore, F., 1884-87. The Lepidoptera of Ceylon, Vol 3. London: L. Reeve & Co. Pp. 1-578, Pl. 144-215.
  • Shubhalaxmi, V., 2018. Birdwing Field Guide to Indian Moths, 1st ed. India: Birdwing Publishers. Pp.1-461.
  • Valappil, B., Facebook. URL: https://www.facebook.com/balakrishnan.valappil.5
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/

Additional references not cited in the text

  • Gurule, S., & Nikam, S., 2013. The moths (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) of northern Maharashtra: a preliminary checklist. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5 (12): 4693-4713. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2555.4693-713
  • Haruta, Toshiro (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000). Moths of Nepal, Parts 1-6. Shinjuku, Tokyo: Tinea, Japan Heterocerists’ Society.
  • Sondhi, Y., Sondhi, S., Pathour, S. K., & Kunte, K., 2018. Moth diversity (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) of Shendurney and Ponmudi in Agastyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Kerala, India, with notes on new records. Tropical Lepidoptera Research 28: 66-89.
  • Moths of Thailand – Vol 1-6
  • www.mothsofndia.org
  • http://www.jpmoth.org/
  • http://www.mothsofborneo.com/
  • https://www.wikipedia.org/
  • www.pyralidsofborneo.org