Seasonality, diversity, and forest type associations of macro moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Heterocera) in the Shiwalik landscape of northern India and its conservation implications
Main Article Content
Abstract
A study was carried out to evaluate the seasonal diversity of macro moths across different forest sub-types occurring in the
Shiwalik landscape of northern India, mainly Uttarakhand and adjoining states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. Fortythree field surveys of 59 days were carried out from July 2020 to October 2022 using stratified random sampling in each of the 19 selected study sites. Sampling surveys revealed 321 species of moths belonging to 19 families and 49 sub-families. These new range extensions from central Himalaya and northeastern India indicate the affinity of moths found in the northern Indian Shiwaliks with that of the Oriental region. Seasonal trend of species richness showed two annual peaks, with the first peak occurring in August followed by a smaller peak in October, while the seasonal abundance of moth species was maximum in July followed by a smaller peak in September. One-hundredand-forty species occurred only during the ‘monsoon’ season indicating their seasonality, univoltine habit and short flight periods in these tropical forests. Species richness of moths correlated positively with relative humidity (r2 = 0.100; p = 0.0142; n = 59). The most dominant family was Erebidae (95 species) followed by Geometriidae (61), Crambidae (72), and Noctuidae (28), respectively. Maximum number of moth species were sampled in forest sub-type (i) 3C/C2a Moist Shiwalik Sal Forest, followed by (ii) 5B/C2 Northern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest, (iii) 3C/C2c Moist Tarai Sal Forest, iv) 5B/C1a Dry Shiwalik Sal Forest, respectively. The study also revealed changing moth communities along with the vegetation structure in the Shiwaliks from east (Nandhaur Willife Sanctaury in Uttarakhand bordering Nepal) to west (Simbalbara National Park in Himachal Pradesh,India) across the landscape. The moth communities of (i) 3C/C2a Moist Shiwalik Sal Forest & (ii) 3C/C2c Moist Tarai Sal Forest being different from that of (iii) 5B/C2 Northern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest, and (iv) 5B/C1a Dry Shiwalik Sal Forest. Besides, six new range extensions into Shiwaliks of northern India from central Nepal and northeastern India, namely: Chlorozancla falcatus (Butler, 1889) (Geometridae); Cynaeda dichroalis (Hampson, 1903), Dichocrocis pyrrhalis (Walker, 1859) & Glyphodes canthusalis Walker, 1859 (Crambidae); and Acropteris iphiata (Guenée, 1857) (Uranidae) were recorded.
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
Anonymous (2023a). Chlorozancla falcatus (Butler, 1889). In: Sondhi,
S., Y. Sondhi, P. Roy & K. Kunte (chief editors). Butterflies of India, v.
41. Indian Foundation for Butterflies. https://www.mothsofindia.
org/chlorozanclafalcatus. Accessed 09 February 2023.
Anonymous (2023b). Cynaeda dichroalis (Hampson, 1903). In: Sondhi,
S., Y. Pondhi, P. Roy & K. Kunte (chief editors). Butterflies of India, v.
41. Indian Foundationfor Butterflies. https://www.mothsofindia.
org/cynaeda-dichroalis. Accessed 07 February 2023.
Anonymous (2023c). Dichocrocis pyrrhalis (Walker, 1859). In: Sondhi,
S., Y. Sondhi, P. Roy & K. Kunte (chief editors). Butterflies of India, v.
41. Indian Foundation for Butterflies. https://www.mothsofindia.
org/dichocrocispyrrhalis. Accessed 09 February 2023.
Anonymous (2023d). Iridoplecta ferrifera (Moore, 1888). In: Sondhi,
S., Y. Sondhi, P. Roy & K. Kunte (chief editors). Butterflies of India, v.
41. Indian Foundation for Butterflies. https://www.mothsofindia.
org/iridoplectaferrifera. Accessed 09 February 2023.
Anonymous (2023e). Acropteris iphiata (Guenée, 1857). In: Sondhi, S.,
Y. Sondhi, R.P. Singh, P. Roy & K. Kunte (chief editors). Butterflies
of India, v. 3.42. Indian Foundation for Butterflies. https://www.
mothsofindia.org/acropterisiphiata. Accessed 12 March 2023.
Anonymous (2023f). Glyphodes canthusalis Walker, 1859. In: Sondhi,
S., Y. Sondhi, R.P. Singh, P. Roy & K. Kunte (chief editors). Butterflies
of India, v. 3.42. Indian Foundation for Butterflies. https://www.mothsofindia.org/glyphodes-canthusalis. Accessed 14 March 2023.
Arora, G.S., D.K. Mandal & M. Chadhury (1977). On scientific result
of Swiss Zoological Expedition to India, Part II. Moths of Garhwal
District (north-western Himalaya). Newsletter Zoological Survey
India 3: 388–395.
Arora, G.S. (1997). Insecta: Lepidoptera: Fauna of Nanda Devi
Biosphere Reserve (Uttaranchal). Conservation Area Series,
Zoological Survey of India 9: 67–88.
Champion, H.G. & S.K. Seth (1968). A revised survey of the forest types
of India. Manager of publications, Government of India, Delhi, 404
pp.
Arya, M.K., H. Chandra, S. Bisht & F. Fasuil (2021). Preliminary report
on Moth diversity in the landscape of Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary:
Adding subset to lepidoptera insects of protected area network.
Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoology 42(15): 12–22.
Chandra, K., V. Kumar, N. Singh, A. Raha & A.K. Sanyal (2019).
Assemblages of Lepidoptera in Indian Himalaya through Long Term
Monitoring Plots. Published by the Director, Zoological Survey of
India, Kolkata, 457 pp.
Dey, P. (2019). High-altitude Moth (Lepidoptera: Heterocera)
Assemblages: Assessing the Diversity and Potential Bio-
Indicator Species in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, India, 18
pp. https://ruffordorg.s3.amazonaws.com/media/project_
reports/24289-1%20Detailed%20Final%20Report.pdf
Hampson, H.G. (1892). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and
Burma. MothsVolume1, Saturniidae to Hypsidae. Taylor and Francis,
London, 527pp+333figs.
Hampson, H.G. (1894). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and
Burma. Moths-Volume 2, Arctiidae, Agrostidae, Noctuidae. Taylor
and Francis, London, 609pp+325figs.
Hampson, H.G. (1895). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and
Burma. Moths-Volume 3, Noctuidae (cont.) to Geometridae. Taylor
and Francis, London, 546 pp + 226 figs.
Hampson, H.G. (1896). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and
Burma. Moths Volume 4. Pyralidae. Taylor and Francis, London, 594
pp + 287 figs.
Hampson, C.F. (1903). The Moths of India Supplementary paper to the
Volumes in ‘The Fauna of British India’ Series II-part X with pl. C. J.
Bombay Society Noctuelia dichroalis 15: 206–226.
Haruta, T. (ed) (1992–2000). Moths of Nepal, part 1-6 Tinea 13,
(Suppls. 1-3). The Japan Heterocerists Society Tokyo.
Haruta, T. (Ed.). (1994). Moths of Nepal. Part 3. TINEA. Vol. 14
(Supplement 1). The Japan Heterocerists’ Society, Tokyo, Pg, 21, Pl.
/15, 163 pp.
Haruta,T. (ed) (1995). Moths of Nepal Part 4 Tinea 14 (Supplement 2).
The Japan Heterocerists’ Society, Tokyo: 13, pl. 97/8, 194 pp.
Holloway, J.D. (1976). Moths of Borneo with special reference to Mt.
Kinabalu, 264 pp.
Irungbam, J.S., M.S. Chib & K. Wangdi (2016). Taxonomic review of
the superfamily Pyraloidea in Bhutan (Lepidoptera). Journal of Asia-
Pacific Biodiversity 9(3): 355–382.
Jaccard, P. (1901). “Etude comparative de la distribution florale dans
une portion des Alpeset du Jura”, Bulletin de la Soci´et´e Vaudoise
des Sciences Naturelles 37(1): 547–579.
Kaleka, A.P.S. (2010). Lymantriid Moths diversity Punjab (Lepidoptera:
Lymantriidae). Bionotes 12(3): 81–83.
Kaleka, A.P.S. (2015) Tiger moth diversity of the Jammu & Kashmir
state, with entire distributional range (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae).
Bionotes 17(1): 11–14.
Kirti, J.S., T. Goyal & M.A. Kaur (2007). Preliminary report on the
Geometrid moths of District Solan (Himachal Pradesh). Bionotes
(3): 91.
Kirti, J.S., T. Goyal & M. Kaur (2012). An inventory of family
geometridae (Lepidoptera) from western ghats of India. Journal of
the Entomological Research Society 360(1): 83–94.
Kitching, R.L., A.G. Orr, L. Thalib, H. Mitchell, M.S. Hopkins & A.W.
Graham (2000). Moth assemblages as indicators of environmental
quality in remnants of upland Australian rain forest. Journal of
Applied Ecology 37: 284–297.
Kukal, S.S. & H.S. Sur (1992). Soil Erosion Hazards in the Foot-Hills of
Lower Shiwaliks. Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science 40(1):
–167.
Kumar P., M. Kumar & M.S. Thakur (2015). Biodiversity and habitat
association of Noctuid moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in various
Chirpine forests of Himachal Pradesh. International Journal of
applied Scientific Aspects 1(2): 46–54.
Kumar, M., P. Kumar & A. Kumar (2018). Taxonomic Study on
Geometrid Moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) Diversity in Chirpine
Forest of Himachal Pradesh. Asian Journal of Advanced Basic
Sciences 6(1): 49–53.
Lees, D. & A. Zilli (2019). Moths: Their Biology, Diversity and Evolution.
Natural History Museum, London, 208 pp.
Lekhendra & A.P. Singh (2022). First record of the swallowtail moth
Epiplema adamantina Inoue, 1998 (Lepidoptera: Uraniidae:
Epipleminae) from western Himalaya. India. Journal of
Threatened Taxa 14(9): 21898–21899. https://doi.org/10.11609/
jott.8064.14.9.21898-21899
Moore, F. (1888). Descriptions of new Indian Lepidopterous Insects
from the collection of the late Mr. W.S. Atkinson Descr. New Indian
Lep. Insects Atkinson (3): 255. TL: Darjeeling.Trygodes ferrifera.
Magurran, A.E. (1988). Ecological Diversity and Its Measurement.
Croom Helm, London, 178 pp.
Raimondo, S., J.S. Strazanac & L. Butler (2003). Comparison of
sampling techniques used in studying Lepidoptera population
dynamics. Environmental Entomology 33: 418–425.
Robinson, G.S., P.R. Ackery, I.J. Kitching, G.W. Beccaloni & L.M.
Hernandez (2010). HOSTS - A Database of the World’s Lepidopteran
Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London. http://www.nhm.
ac.uk/hosts. Accessed on 27 February 2023.
Roonwal, M.L., R.N. Mathur G Bhasin P.N. Chatterjee, P.K. Sen Sarma,
B. Singh, A. Chandra, R.S. Thapa & K. Kumar (1963). A systematic
catalogue of the main identified entomological collection at the
Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun. Indian Forest Leaflet 121(4):
–1395.
Sanyal, A.B., V.P. Uniyal, K. Chandra & M. Bhardwaj (2013).
Diversity and indicator species of moth (Lepidoptera: Heterocera)
assemblages in different vegetation zones in Gangotri Landscape,
Western Himalaya, India. ENVIS Bulletin: Wildlife and Protected
Areas 14(1): 114–128.
Sanyal, A.K., K. Mallick, S. Khan, U. Bandyopadhyay, A. Mazumder, K.
Bhattacharyya & K. Chandra (2018). Insecta: Lepidoptera (Moths).
Faunal Diversity of Indian Himalaya, 651–726. https://nmhs.org.in/
pdf/BOOKS/03.Faunal%20Diversity%20of%20Indian%20Himalaya.
Sharma, V. & S. Arora (2015). Land degradation processes and factors
affecting crop production in Foothills of Jammu Shivaliks. Journal of
Soil and Water Conservation 14(4): 295–300.
Shah, S.K., A. Das, R. Dutta & B. Mitra (2018). A current list of the
moths (Lepidoptera) of West Bengal. Bionotes 20(3): 88–91.
Shubhalaxmi, V. (2018). Birdwing Field Guide to Indian Moths - 1st
Edition. Birdwing Publishers, India, 461 pp.
Singh A.P. & Lekhendra (2022). Moths (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) of
New Forest Campus, Dehradun. Indian Forester 148(6): 632–643.
https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2022/v148i6/168225
Singh, A.P. & Lekhendra (2023). First record of Lymantria todara
Moore, 1879 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Lymantrinae) from Shiwaliks
of Haryana in northern India. Indian Forester 149(3): 365–366.
https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2023/v149i3/169318
Sondhi, Y. & S. Sondhi (2016). A partial checklist of moths (Lepidoptera)
of Dehradun, Mussoorie and Devalsari in Garhwal, Uttarakhand,
India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(5): 8756–8776. https://doi.
org/10.11609/jott.2814.8.5.8756-8776
Sivakumar, K., S. Sathyakumar & G.S.Rawat (2010). A preliminary
review on conservation status of shivalik landscape in northwest,
india. Indian Forester 136(10): 1376.
Smetacek, P. (1994). Hawkmoths (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) of
Kumaon, N. India: A probable case of faunal Drift. Records of the
Zoological Survey of India (Occasional Paper) 156: 1–55.
Smetacek, P. (2004). The genus Corymica Walker (Lepidoptera:
Geometridae) in the Kumaon Himalaya with the description of
a new form of C. deducata caustolomaria Moore. Journal of the
Bombay Natural History Society 101: 173–176.
Smetacek, P. (2008). Moths recorded from different elevations in
Nainital District, Kumaon Himalaya, India. Bionotes 10(1): 5–15.
Smetacek, P. (2009). Additions and corrections to the list of moths
recorded from different elevations in Nainital District, Kumaon
Himalaya, India. Bionotes 11(4): 117–118.
Smetacek, P. (2011). Further Additions to the Moths (Lepidoptera:
Heterocera) of Nainital District, Kumaon Himalaya, India. Bionotes
(4): 140–141.
Summerville, K.S., L.M. Ritter & T.O. Crist (2004). Forest moth taxa
as indicators of lepidopteran richness and habitat disturbance: a
preliminary assessment. Biological Conservation 116(1): 9–18.
Uniyal, D.P., M. Bhardwaj & A.B. Sanyal (2013). An Assessment of
Entomofauna for Management and Conservation of Biodiversity in
the Gangotri Landscape. Annual Progress Report, Wildlife Institute
of India, Dehradun, 237 pp. https://indiabiodiversity.org/biodiv/
content/documents/14.pdf
van Nieukerken, E.J., L. Kaila, I.J. Kitching, N.P. Kristensen, D.C. Lees,
J. Minet & A. Zwick (2011). Order Lepidoptera, in: Zhang Z-Q (Eds).
Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and
survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148(1): 212–221. https://
doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3148.1.41
Walker, F. (1859). List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in
the Collection of the British Museum. Printed by Edward Newman,
Londin, 798 pp.
Yadav, R.P., P. Panwar, S.L. Arya & P.K. Mishra (2015). Revisit of
Shivalik region indifferent states of northwestern India. Journal of
the Geological Society of India 86: 351–360.