Malayan Nature Journal 2013, 65(4), 280-287 A preliminary checklist of macromoths (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) of Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia N. FAUZI1, K. HAMBALI1 , F.K. EAN1, N.S. SUBKI1, S.A. NAWAWI1, and M. H. JAMALUDIN2 Abstract : Limited information is available on moth diversity in the Jeli District of Kelantan. An initial checklist of moths at three sites, namely Gunung Stong Tengah State Park, Jeli Permanent Forest Reserve and Gemang within the Jeli district, Kelantan was documented. A total of 161 species was recorded and included in the list. Keywords: Checklist, Macromoths, Lepidoptera, Jeli, Kelantan. INTRODUCTION Studies on moth diversity in different habitats and conditions in Malaysia such as tropical rainforest (Barlow 1989; Schulze and Fiedler 1997), lowland tropical rainforest (Robinson & Tuck ,1993; Intachat and Holloway, 2000), hill dipterocarp forest (Abang and Karim, 2005), peat swamp forest (Abang and Karim 1999) and plantation area (Chey 1994) elucidated that the diversity values differs due to the difference in vegetation types, altitudes and status of the forest. The highest diversity of macromoths was found from the lower montane forest at the altitude of about 1000m (Holloway 1984). Conversely, the sites of the mixed dipterocarp forest, mostly has low diversity value (Holloway 1984). One of the factors that have been considered as contributing to the lower moth diversity in the lowland areas is the predominance of dipterocarps, which are known to have a high content of alkaloids (defense against insects) in their foliage (Holloway 1984). The study on the zonation in the Lepidoptera of northern Sulawesi found that the highest diversity is found in the range of 600m to 1000m (Holloway et al. 1990). Another study on moth diversity from a secondary hill dipterocarp forest at the altitude of 600m at Genting Sempah, Pahang also produced a comparatively high moth diversity value (Barlow 1989). The documentation of the macromoth species diversity and distribution of the rainforest in Peninsular Malaysia is limited. To date, no attempt has been 1 Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus, 17600 Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia. 2 Faculty of Agro Based Industry, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus, 17600 Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia. made to study the macromoth in Kelantan, particularly in the Jeli district. The Jeli district (longitude: 5.7333 and latitude: 101.8) is situated 90 kilometer from Kota Bharu town, Kelantan, and is mainly vegetated by lowland and hill dipterocarp forests, surrounded by agricultural plantation and sporadic infrastructure development. Being a developing nation, the greatest challenge is balancing progress with conservation. Threats of environment destruction such as deforestation, pollution and depletion of natural resources has been equate with providing wealth for the local community. In the interest of the environment, thus it is crucial to document, record and deposit specimens of moths wherever possible. Thus it is the objective of this study to document the current moth diversity in the Jeli district. MATERIALS AND METHODS A macromoths preliminary survey was conducted in Jeli district (longitude: 5.7333 and latitude: 101.8) of Kelantan, Malaysia. A total of 648 traps nights were used to document the macro moths diversity from 18 September 2013 to 31 October 2013. Samples were collected using two modified Pennsylvanian light traps. The light traps were set up at three different sampling sites in Jeli district namely Gunung Stong State Park (N 05°20.362’’, E 101°58.521’’), Jeli Permanent Forest Reserve (N 05°44.744’’, E101°51.893’’) and Gemang (N 05°44.727’’ E101°51.944’’). Light trapping were operated from 1900 to 0700 hours and the trapped macro moths were collected the following morning. The collected macromoths were extracted, pinned, labeled and sorted to family levels. The species identification and nomenclature was done according to (Barlow 1982) and (Holloway 1983; 1985; 1988; 1989; 1993; 1996; 1997; 1998; 1999) RESULTS A total of 161 species of macromoths from 12 families collected in Jeli district are presented. Family ARCTIIDAE Amata egenaria Walker Amata dilatata Snellen Caeneressa robusta Holloway Caeneressa annosa Walker Syntomoides imaon Cramer Auriculoceryx pterodactyliformis Holloway 281 Spilosoma groganae Holloway Spilosoma griseabrunnea Holloway Creatonotos transiens Walker Cyana perornata Walker Cyana conclusa Walker Barsine lucibilis Swinhoe Barsine roseororatus Butler Barsine euprepioides Walker Barsine pallinflexa Family LYMANTRIIDAE Lymantria brunneiplaga Swinhoe Lymantria singapura Swinhoe Imaus munda Walker Calliteara horsfieldii Saunders Calliteara cerigoides Walker Calliteara diplozona Collenette Arna erema Collenette Orvasca subnotata Walker Nygmia semifumosa Holloway Nygmia guttulata Snellen Toxoproctis bifurcate van Eecke Carriola ecnomoda Swinhoe Family NOCTUIDAE Peridrome orbicularis Walker Neochera marmoreal Walker Neochera inops Walker Asota heliconia Linnaeus Asota plana Walker Asota egens Walker Asota caricae Fabricius Asota product Butler Spodoptera litura Fabricius Dipterygina dorsipallens Holloway Mimeusemia postica Walker Artena rubida Walker Artena dotata Fabricius Bastilla joviana Stoll 282 Bastilla fulvotaenis Guėnee Bastilla crameri Moore Bastilla circumsignata Guėnee Ophiusa trapezium Guėnee Chalciope mygdon Cramer Ercheia cyllaria Cramer Erebus hieroglyphica Drury Avatha heterographa Hampson Ommatophora luminosa Cramer Hulodes caranea Cramer Tinolius sundensis Hampson Anisoneura aluco Fabricius Anisoneura salebrosa Guėnee Ischyja marapok Ischyja subreducta Ischyja hemiphaea Hampson Ischyja paraplesius Rothschild Platyja sumatrana Felder Platyja umbrina Doubleday Erebus hieroglyphica Drury Ugia disjungens Walker Eudocima salaminia Cramer Eudocima phalonia Linnaeus Eudocima homaena HÜbner Chilkasa falcata Swinhoe Poliofoca gebenna Swinhoe Lopharthrum comprimens Walker Rema costimacula Guėnee Episparis costistriga Walker Episparis experimens Walker Gespanna pectoralis Walker Family NOTODONTIDAE Tarsolepis sommeri HÜbner Dudusa vethi Snellen Gangarides rosea Walker Phalera grotei Moore Netria viridescens Walker Somera viridifusca Walker Calyptronotum singapura Gaede 283 Family EUPTEROTIDAE Eupterote multiarcuata Holloway Eupterote asclepiades Felder Eupterote muluana Family GEOMETRIDAE Celerena signata Warren Dysphania malayanus Guėrin-Mėneville Pingasa rubimontana Holloway & Sommever Tanaorhinus rafflesii Moore Tanaorhinus viridiluteata Walker Agathia obsolete Warren Agathia succedanea Warren Spaniocentra megaspilaria Guėnee Ornithospila sundaensis Holloway Aporandria specularia Guėnee Zythos turbata Walker Hypochrosis binexata Walker Omiza lycoraria Guėnee Plutodes cyclaria Guėnee Plutodes malaysiana Holloway Xylinophylla hypocausta Warren Zamarada denticulate Fletcher Godonela nora Walker Bracca georgiata Guėnee Chorodna complicataria Walker Amblychia infoveata Prout Biston pustulata Warren Biston insularis Warren Amraica solivagaria Walker Iulotrichia decursaria Walker Cleora determinate Sato Ophthalmitis rufilauta Prout Hypomecis sommereri Prout Family URANIIDAE Lyssa zampa Butler Lyssa menoetius Hoppfer 284 Urapteroides astheniata Guėnee Family LASIOCAMPIDAE Paralebeda lucifuga Swinhoe Paralebeda uniformis Holloway Suana sundana Walker Kunugia basimacula Walker Kunugia rectifascia Holloway Arguda rectilinea Hampson Trabala irrorata Moore Trabala krishna Roepke Trabala viridana Joicey & Talbot Trabala ganesha Roepke Micropacha roepkei Holloway Euthrix laeta Walker Family SATURNIIDAE Actias maenas Doubleday Antheraea helferi Moore Antheraea larissa Westwood Attacus atlas Linnaeus Archaeoattacus staudingeri Rothschild Family SPHINGIDAE Amplypterus panopus Cramer Ambulyx clavata Jordan Ambulyx pryeri Distant Ambulyx subocellata Felder Ambulyx substrigilis Westwood Ambulyx tattina Jordan Clanis stenosema Rothschild & Jordan Marumba sperchius Menetries Marumba juvencus Rothschild & Jordan Daphnusa ocellaris Walker Callambulyx rubricosa Walker Elibia dolichus Westwood Acosmeryx anceus Stoll Acosmeryx shervillii Boisduval Panacra dohertyi Rothschild Enpinanga vigens Butler 285 Enpinanga borneensis Butler Macroglossum aquila Boisduval Theretra boisduvali Bugnion Theretra clotho Drury Theretra latreillei MacLeay Rhyncholaba acteus Cramer Rhagastic rubetra Rothschild & Jordan Cechenena helops Walker Family COSSIDAE Xyleutes anceps Snellen Xyleutes ceramica Walker Xyleutes persona le Guillou Xyleutes strix Linnaeus Family LIMACODIDAE Scopelodes albipalpis Hering Scopelodes pallivittata Snellen ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank the Kelantan Forestry Department for the permit and permission to conduct this study within the permanent forest reserves in the Jeli district, Kelantan. REFERENCES Barlow, H.S. and Woiwood, I.P. 1989. Moth diversity of a tropical forest in Peninsular Malaysia. J. Tropical Ecology.5:37-50. Schulze, C.H. and Fiedler, K. 1997. The butterfly species (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) of Kinabalu Park, Sabah. Raffles Bull. Zool. 45 (2): 281-304. Robinson, G.S. and Tuck, K.R. 1993. Diversity and faunistisc of small moths (Microlepidoptera) in Bornean rainforest. Ecological Entomology. 18:385-393. Intachat, J. and Holloway, J.D. 2000. Is there stratification in diversity or preferred flight height of geometroid moth in Malaysian lowland tropical forest? Biodiv. Conserv. 9 : 1417 -1439. Abang, F. and Karim, C. 2005. Diversity Of Macromoths (Lepidoptera : Heterocera) in Poring Hill Dipterocarp