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Journal of Threatened Taxa Building evidence for conservaton globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Communication A report on the moth (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) diversity of Kavvai River basin in Kerala, India Chembakassery Jose Alex, Koladyparambil Chinnan Soumya & Thavalathadathil Velayudhan Sajeev 26 February 2021 | Vol. 13 | No. 2 | Pages: 17753–17779 DOI: 10.11609/jot.4625.13.2.17753-17779 For Focus, Scope, Aims, Policies, and Guidelines visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-0 For Artcle Submission Guidelines, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions For Policies against Scientfc Misconduct, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-2 For reprints, contact <[email protected]> The opinions expressed by the authors do not refect the views of the Journal of Threatened Taxa, Wildlife Informaton Liaison Development Society, Zoo Outreach Organizaton, or any of the partners. 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Member Threatened Taxa Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 February 2021 | 13(2): 17753–17779 ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) PLATINUM OPEN ACCESS htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.4625.13.2.17753-17779 #4625 | Received 26 June 2019 | Final received 12 January 2021 | Finally accepted 04 February 2021 COMMUNICATION A report on the moth (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) diversity of Kavvai River basin in Kerala, India Chembakassery Jose Alex 1 , Koladyparambil Chinnan Soumya 2 & Thavalathadathil Velayudhan Sajeev 3 1–3 Forest Protecton Division, Kerala Forest Research Insttute, Peechi, Thrissur, Kerala 680653, India. 1 [email protected] (corresponding author), 2 [email protected], 3 [email protected] Abstract: In the present paper, we report the presence of 503 species of moths (343 identfed to species, 160 identfed to genus) that belong to 371 genera under 42 families. The study was conducted at Kavvai River basin, northern Kerala, India for three years from 2015 toெவள்ைள 2017. Traditonal வைளயன் light (ஒ+ட் trapping ஃேபார் method-ர ிங் was , 6ப்7மா employed 9ேலானிகா to collect the, ஹ=+ட்சன், moths during 1865) the night.பட்டாம்Dச்9+ன் Among the families வளர்ச்9ப்பEவ reported, Erebidae Fதல் wasநிைலகளான the most dominant Fட்ைட, family IJ followedமற்Lம் byMட்Nப்IJ Crambidae, நிைலகள்,Geometridae, அந் Noctuidae, நிைலகளில் and Pyraliade.அவற்Pன் The Iறத்ேதாற்றம் study highlights மற்Lம் the signifcance நடத்ைத, of theஇந்7யாRல் riverbasin inFதல் conserving Fைறயாக rich diversity ஆவணப்பNத்தப்பட்Nள்ளன. of invertebrates. இந்த பட்டாம்Dச்9க்V ஒE I7ய உணXத்தாவரFம் (ை ச ே ன ா ட ான் ே ட க ்ை ட ல ான் (எல்) ெபர்ஸ்.) கண்டPயப்பட்Nள்ள[. Keywords: Crambidae, Geometridae, Lepidoptera, light trap, moths, nocturnal, Noctuidae, Pyraliade, southern India. ര"ന$%രു'ം: വട'ൻ േകരള1ിെല ക5ായി നദീതട1ിൽ 2015 മുതൽ 2017 വെര നട1ിയ നിശാശലഭ പഠന1ിFെറ കെH1ലുകളാI ഈ േപKറിൽ അവതരിKി'ുM". രാOതി'ാലPളിൽ Oപകാശ െകണികെളാരു'ി നിശാശലഭPെള ആകർഷി$് സാWിൾ േശഖരി'ുM പരWരാഗത രീതിയിൽ നട1ിയ ഈ പഠന1ിൽ 42 നിശാശലഭ കുടുബ1ിലും 371 ജനുസിലും െപ_ 503 നിശാശലഭ `പീഷaസുകെളയാI റിേKാ_് െചcാനായ". ഈ Oപേദശ1ു കാണുM വaതad ശലഭ കുടുബPളിൽ Oപബലമായ" എറിബിേഡ ശലഭ കുടുബമാI തുടർM് OകമOപകാരം OകാWിേഡ, േജaാമOടിേഡ, െനാhടുേഡ ൈപറാലിേഡ ശലഭ കുടുബPള%ം `പീഷa` ൈവവിധa1ിൽ മുMിലാI. ഈ പഠനം ക5ായി നദീതട1ിെല ൈജവൈവവിധaം, Oപേതaകി$് അകേശരു'ള%െട ൈവവിധaം സംരkിേ'HതിFെറ Oപാധാനa1ിേല'് വിരൽ ചൂHുMു. ര"ന$%രു'ം: വട'ൻ േകരള1ിെല ക5ായി നദീതട1ിൽ 2015 മുതൽ 2017 വെര നട1ിയ നിശാശലഭ പഠന1ിFെറ കെH1ലുകളാI ഈ േപKറിൽ അവതരിKി'ുM". രാOതി'ാലPളിൽ Oപകാശ െകണികെളാരു'ി നിശാശലഭPെള ആകർഷി$് സാWിൾ േശഖരി'ുM പരWരാഗത രീതിയിൽ നട1ിയ ഈ പഠന1ിൽ 42 നിശാശലഭ കുടുബ1ിലും 371 ജനുസിലും െപ_ 503 നിശാശലഭ `പീഷaസുകെളയാI റിേKാ_് െചcാനായ". ഈ Oപേദശ1ു കാണുM വaതad ശലഭ കുടുബPളിൽ Oപബലമായ" എറിബിേഡ ശലഭ കുടുബമാI തുടർM് Editor: Jatshwor Singh Irungbam, Insttute of Entomology, Biology Centre CAS, Czech Republic. Date of publicaton: 26 February 2021 (online & print) OകമOപകാരം OകാWിേഡ, േജaാമOടിേഡ, െനാhടുേഡ ൈപറാലിേഡ ശലഭ കുടുബPള%ം `പീഷa` ൈവവിധa1ിൽ Citaton:മുMിലാI Alex, C.J.,. ഈK.C. Soumyaപഠനം & T.V.ക5ായി Sajeev (2021). നദീതട1ിെല A report on the ൈജവൈവവിധaംmoth (Lepidoptera: Heterocera), Oപേതaകി$് diversity of Kavvai അകേശരു'ള%െട River basin in Kerala, ൈവവിധaം India. Journal of Threatenedസംരkിേ'HതിFെറ Taxa 13(2): 17753–17779 Oപാധാനa1ിേല'്. htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot. വിരൽ 4625ചൂHുMു.13.2.17753-17779. Copyright: © Alex et al. 2021. Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproducton, and distributon of this artcle in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publicaton. Funding: Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment. Competng interests: The authors declare no competng interests. Author details: C.J. Alex is currently working as the Senior Project Ofcer in the biodiversity division of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, South Asia. He holds a Doctoral degree in Landscape ecology from Cochin University of Science and Technology. His research interests include landscape ecology, GIS, remote sensing and conservaton biology. K.C. Soumya is currently working as a government employee in the drugs control department, Govt. of Kerala. She holds her master degree in Zoology. Her research interest includes lepidopteran biology and open green space management. T.V. Sajeev, Senior Principal Scientst and HOD department of Forest Entomology, Kerala Forest Research Insttute has extensive research experience in insect populaton dynamics, biocontrol, alien invasive species management. Currently working as the research coordinator of KFRI and also involved in Managing Tree Health Helpline for the State of Kerala. Author contributon: CJA—feld work, larval rearing, moth identfcaton, data compilaton, manuscript writng, proof reading. KCS—larval rearing, moth identfcaton. TVS—overall guidance, manuscript editng, proof reading. Acknowledgements: The authors are thankful to the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology, and Environment, Government of Kerala for providing fnancial support. Thanks to Dr. Sreejith K.A., Dr. George Mathew, Dr. Monalisa Sen, Mr. Sankara Raman, Moths of India facebook group and Indian Moths group of India Biodiversity Portal for their support, species identfcaton help. Thanks to Mr. Subin K K for layout help. 17753 J TT Moth diversity of Kavvai River basin, Kerala Alex et al. INTRODUCTION al. (2017), Sondhi et al. (2018), and Subhalaxmi (2018). Classifcaton of moths at higher taxonomic levels was Kavvai (or Kavvayi) river is one among the 15 rivers done based on Van Nieukerken et al. (2011), and for which originates from the midlands of Kerala, India. It is nomenclature aspects at species and genus levels, located between 12.0840–12.2450N & 75.0820–75.3330E. LEPINDEX (Beccaloni et al. 2003) was consulted. The river emerges from the Cheemeni laterite hills at an elevaton of 119m. The river is 31km long and directly fows into the Kavvayi backwater which is connected RESULTS to the Arabian Sea. The river basin is a typical laterite biotope of northern Kerala which is a topographically In the present study, 1,060 specimens (750 adults complex, biodiversity-rich, fragmented, and densely and 310 larvae) were collected which belonged to 503 populated cultural landscape spread over an area species (343 moths were identfed to the species level of 164.76km2 falling under nine local administratve and another 160 to the genus level) under 371 genera bodies in the districts of Kannur and Kasaragode. Even belonging to 42 families were recored (Appendix I, though the Kavvai River is prominent among the 15 Images 1–328). All the specimens have been deposited rivers originatng from the midlands of Kerala, there in the Insect collecton department of Kerala Forest is no reserved or protected forest in the river basin Research Insttute. which is composed of semi-natural landscapes such as Among the moths collected, Noctuoidea (195 lateritc hillocks, sacred groves, eco-groves (Kaanams), species of which 45 up to generic level) has the highest riverine vegetaton and mangroves, cultural landscape diversity followed by Pyraloidea (118 species; 39 up such as wetland cultvaton, plantatons, homesteads to generic level), Geometroidea (67 species; 20 up with mixed cultvaton and other agro-eco systems to generic level), Gelechioidea (23 species; 13 up to and a small proporton of artfcial landscapes (Figure generic level), Bombycoidea (22 species; one up to 1). In the present study, atempts have been made to generic level), Zygaenoidea (18 species; eight up to document the moth diversity of diferent habitats in the generic level), Tortricoidea (18 species; 10 up to generic Kavvai River basin. level), Tineioidea (nine species; fve up to generic level) Pterophoroidea (six species; fve up to generic level), Thyridoidea (six species; fve up to generic level), MATERIAL AND METHODS Lasiocampoidea (four species; two up to generic level), Yponomeutoidea (four species; two up to generic level), The sampling was carried out during three diferent Drepanoidea (four species; one up to generic level), seasons: pre-monsoon (February–May), monsoon (June– Cossoidea (three species; one up to generic level), September), and post-monsoon (October–January) Choreutoidea (two species; two up to generic level), seasons at six locatons (Table 1) in the Kavvai River Gracillarioidea (two species; one up to generic level) and basin —sacred groves, eco -groves (Kaanam), lateritc Alucitoidea and Hyblaeoideaare represented by single exposed area, wetland, and mixed-cultvaton areas— species (Table 3; Figure 2).