A lepidoptera hotspot, India is home to 8.25% of the world’s butterflies, moths, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• India is home to 13,703 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), constituting approximately 8.25% of the global total.
• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) published a detailed "Catalogue of Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths) of India" in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.
• This comprehensive catalogue, which took 12 years to complete, firmly positions India among megadiverse nations with an updated inventory of its butterfly and moth diversity.
• Of the total Lepidoptera species, 1,417 are butterflies and 12,286 are moths.

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Detailed Insights:

• The catalogue classifies the 13,703 species across 3,705 genera, 240 subfamilies, 102 families, and 31 superfamilies.
• The scientific work by ZSI scientists Navneet Singh and Rahul Joshi addresses critical taxonomic gaps that have persisted for over a century.
• Lepidoptera play vital ecological roles as herbivores, detritivores, and pollinators, and serve as food sources for various animals.
• The catalogue is considered a crucial national asset for biodiversity research, ecological monitoring, and global conservation strategies.
• Among the catalogued species are 2,205 species of Geometroidea, which are nocturnal pollinators.
• These 2,205 Geometroidea species represent 8.8% of the world’s known species in this superfamily.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Lepidoptera: An order of insects that includes butterflies and moths, characterized by scaly wings.
• Zoological Survey of India (ZSI): India's premier organization for zoological research and exploration, operating under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Zootaxa: A peer-reviewed international journal specializing in systematic zoology, particularly for large taxonomic works and descriptions of new taxa.
• Megadiverse nations: Countries that harbor a high percentage of Earth's species, including a significant number of endemic species, and often possess marine ecosystems.