First report of moth species of the family Tineidae (Lepidoptera) in regurgitated pellets of harriers in India
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Caterpillars of Tineidae moths mainly feed on keratin sources and require moisture and warm temperature for emergence. The presence of Tineidae moth caterpillars, pupae, and adults in regurgitated pellets of harriers, diurnal migratory raptors wintering in India, suggests a potential dietary association and highlights the importance of considering associated organisms in raptor diet estimation studies. The caterpillars preferred rodent hairs present in the pellets over feather and arthropod remains. This is the first record of Tineidae moths on the pellets of harriers.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT. This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership. Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.
References
Brimblecombe, P. & P. Lankester (2013). Long-term changes in climate and insect damage in historic houses. Studies in Conservation 58(1): 13–22. https://doi.org/10.1179/2047058412Y.0000000051 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1179/2047058412Y.0000000051
Brooks, A. (1929). On Pellets of Hawks and Owls. Condor 31: 222–223.
Byun, B. K., Shin, S. B., Bae, Y. S., Kim, D. S., & Choi, Y. G. (2014). First discovery of a cave-dwelling Tineid moth (Lepidoptera, Tineidae) from East Asia. Journal of Forestry Research 25: 647–651. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-014-0503-9
Ganesh, T. & M.B. Prashanth (2018). A First Compilation of Harrier Roost Counts from India Suggests Population Declines of Wintering Birds over 30 Years. Ardea 106(1): 19–29. https://doi.org/10.5253/arde.v106i1.a6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5253/arde.v106i1.a6
Glue, D.E. (1973). Owl pellets pp. 193–197. In: Dutton, E.P. (ed.). Owls of the World: Their Evolution, Structure, and Ecology. New York, 216 pp.
Griswold, G.H. & M.F. Crowell (1936). The effect of humidity on the development of the Webbing Clothes Moth (Tineola bisselliella Hum.). Ecology 17(2): 241–250. https://doi.org/10.2307/1931463 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1931463
Heckford, R.J. & S.D. Beavan (2018). Monopis crocicapitella: case bearing larvae in England found feeding on bat droppings. Entomologist’s Record 130: 233–248.
Kristensen, N.P. (1999). Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. de Gruyter, Berlin, 491 pp.
Marti, C.D. (1974). Feeding ecology of four sympatric owls. Condor 76: 45–61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1365983
Nasu, Y., G.-H. Huang, S. Murahama & T. Hirowatari (2008). Tineid moths (Lepidoptera, Tineidae) from Goshawk and Ural Owl nests in Japan, with notes on larviparity of Monopis congestella (Walker). Lepidoptera Science 59(3): 187–193.
Nasu, Y., S. Murahama, H. Matsumuro, D. Hashiguchi & C. Murahama (2007). First record of Lepidoptera from Ural Owl nests in Japan. Applied Entomology and Zoology 42(4): 607–612. https://doi.org/10.1303/aez.2007.607 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1303/aez.2007.607
Pathania, P.C. & H.S. Rose (2004). First record of the genus Compsoctena Zeller (Lepidoptera: Eriocottidae) from India. Zoos’ Print Journal 19(6): 1501–1504. https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT. ZPJ.1056.1501-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.ZPJ.1056.1501-4
Philips, J.R. & D.L. Dindal (1979). Decomposition of raptor pellets. Raptor Research 13(4): 102–111.
Prestt, I. & R. Wagstaffe (1973). Barn and bay owls pp. 42–60. In: Dutton, E.P. (ed.). Owls of the World: Their Evolution, Structure, and Ecology. New York, 216 pp.
Robinson, G.S. (1998). Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies pp. 92–100. In: Kristensen, N.P. & A. Schmidt-Rhaesa (eds.). Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 501 pp.
Robinson, G.S. & E.S. Nielsen (1993). Tineid Genera of Australia (Lepidoptera) (Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Series) Vol. 2. CSIRO publications, Melborune, Australia, 344 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/9780643105102
Robinson, G.S., K.R. Tuck & M. Shaffer (1994). A Field Guide to the Smaller Moths of South-East Asia. Malaysian Nature Society, Malaysia, 1308 pp + 32 pls.
Saravanan, A., M.B. Prashanth & T. Ganesh (2021). Wintering harriers in a rapidly changing landscape in southern Tamil Nadu, India. Current Science 120(3): 9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v120/i3/553-561
Sato, H., Y. Nasu, S. Murahama, H. Matsumuro & K. Ueda (2019). Differences in the niches of keratin/chitin feeding moths (Lepidoptera: Tineidae) in bird nests in central Japan. European Journal of Entomology 116: 442–449. https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2019.045 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2019.045
Sharkov, A., T.E. Katzner & T. Bragina (2003). A new Species of Copidosoma Ratzeburg (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) from Eagle Nests in Kazakhstan.Journal of Hymenoptera Research 12(2): 308–311.
Terry, R.C. (2004). Owl pellet taphonomy: a preliminary study of the post-regurgitation taphonomic history of pellets in a temperate forest. Palaios 19(5): 497–506. https://doi.org/10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0497:OPTAPS>2.0.CO;2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0497:OPTAPS>2.0.CO;2
Wilson, K.A. (1938). Owl studies. Michigan 55: 187–197. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/4078196
Young, M. (1997). The Natural History of Moths. T & AD Poyser Ltd, 271 pp.