– NET Web Desk
A study published in Tropical Lepidoptera Research journal has identified a total of seventeen new moth species from Tale Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh.
This figure has been highlighted following moth biodiversity assessments that took place over 29 days.
These assessments were undertaken during April, May, August and September in 2011 and 2019.
The research has identified 497 moth species of which 460 species are identified to species level.
Out of this, 37 are identified to the genus level. Meanwhile, there are almost 17 species for which no published records exist from India and are additions to the known moth fauna of India, i.e. new species been added into the list.
However, there are more than a hundred species for which no published records exist from Arunachal Pradesh.
According to the study, over 200 species still needs to be identified.
The study further depicts that during the time of British reign in India, the best-studied sites in the Himalayan region were around hill stations.
Consequently, in North East India, most historical records for moths were located to areas such as – Darjeeling and Shillong.
The other areas that were well surveyed include – Naga Hills and Khasi Hills.
Whereas, the moth diversity of Arunachal Pradesh remained poorly studied, leading to missing out some knowledge on its existence.
“Though there have been publications, there are few detailed biodiversity assessments of moths from Arunachal Pradesh, highlighting the need for scientific collections and biodiversity assessments to document the moth fauna of the state. Many first records for India have been included in the assessments,” – quoted by the study.
