A year-long light-trap study recorded the moth faunal diversity from the University of North Bengal campus, which is situated in the Himalayan foothills or Terai region of West Bengal, from September 2023 to August 2024. A total of 125 species of moths representing 104 genera belonging to 14 families were recorded during this study. Among them, the families Erebidae (36 spp.), Crambidae (32 spp.), and Geometridae (28 spp.) contributed the maximum species records. Their presence in this area highlights the need for regular monitoring throughout the district.

A new species, Hypospila polliceae Abhilash & Adarsh sp. nov. of family Erebidae has been described from Kerala. All the specimens for this study were collected from the various localities of the Kerala state using light traps operated from dusk to dawn. The adult male and male genitalia features are illustrated to differentiate the new species with its congeners. An updated worldwide checklist for the species of Hypospila Guenee is also provided.

The present study was carried out to document the moth fauna of Lumami campus between February 2024 to April 2024 using the light trapping method with a 100 W LED bulb. A total of 106 species belonging to 83 genera under 12 families and seven superfamilies were recorded. The family Erebidae dominated with 46 species (43%), followed by Geometridae with 32 species (30%), Notodontidae with five species (4%), Crambidae and Saturniidae with four species each (4%), Drepanidae, Lasiocampidae, and Sphingidae with three species (3% each), Euteliidae and Nolidae with two species each (2%), and Zygaenidae and Noctuidae with one species each (1% each). Of the 106 moth species, 36 species are first reports from Nagaland; of which Geometridae dominates with 18 genera (e.g., Amblychia sp., Hypomecis seperata), followed by Erebidae with 13 genera (e.g., Asota heliconia, Dierna strigata, Ommatophora sp.), Euteliidae with two genera (e.g., Targalla apcifascia, Eutelia discistriga), and Nolidae with two genera (e.g., Westermannia superba, Xenochroa sp.). Species such as Acosmeryx naga are potential pollinators, and Chadisra bipartita is an indicator of forest health, as their decline suggests detrimental environmental changes such as increased pesticide use or habitat degradation. This study thereby offers baseline data for future studies on moth fauna as well as for the creation of sustainable forest development and conservation strategies.

Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea) is a widespread, highly polyphagous moth in the family Erebidae, whose native range spans much of North America and invasive range includes Asia and Europe. The species uses over 600 plant species as a larval host, making it among the most generalized insect herbivores described. Its variable host use, wide range, and genetic diversity make fall webworm an attractive emerging model system for the study of diet breadth, but studies have been limited by the lack of a high-quality annotated reference genome. Here we report an annotated, chromosome-scale genome of much improved continuity and completeness over the previously available unannotated fall webworm reference genome. We used PacBioHiFi long reads and Omni-C proximity ligation sequencing technology to produce a de novo assembled genome. Our genome assembly, the first for any species in the genus and third in the family, contains 321 scaffolds spanning 0.572 gigabases with a N50 of 14.6 Mb and BUSCO complete score of 99.1%. This genome will represent a valuable resource for research into the ecology, evolution, and genetics of dietary generalism and diet breadth in insect herbivores.

Aloa lactinea, class Insecta, order Lepidoptera, superfamily Noctuoidea, family Erebidae, and subfamily Arctiinae, is a polytrophic agricultural pest. However, there are still many sequences missing for Arctiinae from mitochondrial whole-genome sequences. In this study, we determined and analyzed the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of A. lactinea. Furthermore, based on the sequencing results, we used the Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and maximum reduction methods to analyze the phylogenies of 18 species of the Hypophora subfamily. The mitochondrial genome was found to be a circular double-stranded DNA with a length of 15,380 bp and included 13 protein-coding genes (PCGS), 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and one control region. With the exception of tRNASer(AGC), all the tRNA genes could form conventional clover structures. There were 23 intergenic spacer regions with lengths of 1-52 bp and six gene overlaps with lengths of 1-8 bp. The control region was located between rrnS and tRNAMet genes and comprised 303 bp and an AT content of 74.25%. The results showed that A. lactinea is closely related to Hyphantria cunea. Our results suggest that Syntomini is phylogenetically distinct from Arctiini and may warrant separate tribal status within Arctiinae. This study is dedicated to researching the mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic relationships of A. lactinea, providing a molecular basis for its classification.

Lymantria kanara Collenette of family Erebidae, is a rare taxon considered to be endemic to southern India. Here we provide information on the recently rediscovered Lymantria kanara from Kerala, India, after 73 years hiatus. Prior to this study, all published research on this taxon was based on catalogues or the type specimens housed in museums with scanty descriptions. Hence, a detailed taxonomic description of adult male and male genitalia features is provided in this study.

The investigation aimed to comprehend moths diversity across the rural and urban areas in the Salcete Taluka of South Goa in India. Moths were documented from August 2023 to January 2024 by setting up light traps. Ahigher diversity and abundance within rural areas, hosting 510 individuals from 24 families, was reported compared to urban settings, with 366 individuals from 17 families. The families Erebidae and Crambidae emerged as the most dominant across both habitats. The Shannon-Weiner diversity index indicated that the rural areas had higher species diversity than the study sites in the city. The Sorensen similarity index, with a value of 39%, showed a low similarity between the moth communities of both habitats, suggesting distinct differences in their species composition. Representatives from the families Lecithoceridae and Zygaenidae previously reported from Maharashtra and Karnataka were found for the 1st time in Goa. These findings underscore the significance of understanding moths and their habitats for effective conservation and management strategies.. KEYWORDS :Diversity, Habitat-specific, Moths, Shannon-Wiener index, Sorenson index

ABSTRACTOak decline is a major concern in Iran. A literature search with the terms ‘Iran’ AND ‘oak’ OR ‘Quercus’ from 1963 through 2023 resulted in 635 articles with over 200 dealing specifically with oak decline. In Iran, oak decline is most severe in the Zagros forests, followed by the Arasbaran and Hyrcanian forests. Of Iran's 11 native oak species, Quercus brantii is the most affected. Several factors have been identified as contributing to oak decline in Iran. Some economic and social factors include high rural unemployment, livestock overgrazing and uncontrolled cutting of live tree branches with the wood used for firewood and foliage used as food for farm animals. These pruning wounds can serve as entry points for pathogens and attract insects. Important abiotic factors included extended drought, increasing air temperature and wind speed, and increased levels of airborne dust and heavy metals. Important pathogens identified in the early 2000s included Armillaria mellea and charcoal rot fungus (Biscogniauxia mediterranea). More recently, many other fungal pathogens (e.g., Discula quercina, Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, Obolarina persica, Paecilomyces formosus and Phaeoacremonium tuscanicum) and bacterial pathogens (e.g., Bacillus pumilus, Brenneria goodwinii, Gibbsiella quercinecans, Rahnella victoriana and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia) were found in association with declining oaks. Among the insects, severe oak defoliation has resulted from various Lepidoptera in the families Erebidae, Geometridae and Tortricidae. Similarly, several bark‐ and wood‐boring beetles in the families Buprestidae and Cerambycidae were reported from declining oaks, with the buprestid Agrilus hastulifer being one of the most common. It is hoped that this review will improve our understanding of the many factors involved in oak decline in Iran and promote the development of management strategies.

The taxonomic position of the genus Gazalina Walker remained ambiguous and it continuously reshuffled its position in the family Notodontidae and subfamily Lymantriinae of family Erebidae. The present study has been carried out to elucidate its taxonomic position in accordance with the morphological, molecular, larval, and behavioural characteristics of its species. A detailed account of two species namely Gazalina chrysolopha (Kollar) and Gazalina apsara (Moore), the type species of this genus, has also been given. The CoI sequence of Gazalina chrysolopha (MH795522) and Gazalina apsara (MH790288) from the present study were compared with the available reference sequences in Genbank by using BLAST. Its placement under the subfamily Thaumetopoeinae of the family Notodontidae has been justified.

Moths are primarily nocturnal, phytophagous, pests of agriculture, night pollinators, and potential bioindicators. The current study is the first to provide information on the diversity, richness, and abundance of moth species in central Sindh, Pakistan. Moths were collected by light traps, light sheets, and insect nets. A total of 517 specimens were collected during four seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn) and sorted out into 2 families. Moreover, Family Erebidae was sorted out into 3 subfamilies (Arctinae, Calpinae, and Erebinae) of 5 genera (Utethesia, Chalciope, Creatonotus, Grammodes, and Eudocima) with 8 species (Utethesia pulchella Linnaeusn1758, Utethesia lotrix Cramer 1789, Chalciope mygdone Cramer 1775, Creatonotus transiens Walker 1855, Grammodes geometrica Fabricius 1775, Grammodes stolida Fabricius 1775, Eudocima phalonia Linnaeus 1763, and Eudocima maternal Linnaeus 1767) while family Geometridae was sorted out into 3 subfamilies (Sterrhinae, Ennominae, and Geometrinae) of 3 genera (Scopula, Isturgia, and Microloxia) with 5 species (Scopula pulchella Fabricius 1794, Scopula minorata Boisduval 1833, Isturgia disputaria Guenee 1858, Isturgia Pulinda Walker 1860, and Microloxia herbaria Hubner 1800). However, the family Erebidae was found to be the most prevalent with 8 species while the family Geometridae was found to be the least prevalent with 5 species. However, the family Geometridae was found to be highest in abundance with 305 specimens while the family Erebidae was found to be lowest in abundance with 212 specimens. According to the localities, the highest value (0.91) of Simpson's index (D) was recorded for Matiari; while the lowest value (0.86) was recorded for Jamshoro. The survey locations featured varied moth fauna, as evidenced by the fact that Matiari was recorded as the highest value (2.394) Shannon index (H) while Jamshoro was recorded as the lowest value (2.034).

The genus Parens comprises small moths, with a wingspan of 9-13 mm, belonging to the family Erebidae. Until now, only four species have been described worldwide. In Korea, only one species, P.occi (Fibiger & Kononenko, 2008) has been known to date. In this study, a new species from Korea, P.fibigerina Lee & Byun, sp. nov., is described. As a result, two Parens species are now known from Korea. Figures of adults, male and female genitalia, and a key to the species of Parens in Korea are provided.

An annotated checklist of the Moth (Lepidopteran) fauna of District Buner, KP, Pakistan were presented. In the current study 563 specimens of Moth were collected. Throughout entomological investigation a total of 28 species belonging to 25 genera names asCyana hemata (Walker, 1854), Aloa lactinea (Cramer, 1777), Creatonotos transiens (Walker, 1855), Olene mendosa (Hubner, 1823), Cyana puella (Drury, 1773), Syntomoides imaon (Cramer, 1779),Spilosoma obliqua (Walker, 1855), Stigmatophora palmata (Moore, 1878),Marumba sperchius (Menetries, 1857), Psilogramma increta (Walker1865), Leucophlebia lineata (Westwood, 1847), Polyptychus dentatus (Cramer, 1777), Theretra alecto (Linnaeus, 1758),Theretra oldenlandiae (Fabricius, 1775), Biston suppressaria (Guenée, 1858), Declana atronivea (Walker, 1865), Dysgonia torrida (Guenee, 1852), Polytela gloriosae (Fabricius, 1781), Chasmina candida (Walker, 1865),Anua tirhaca (Cramer, 1777), Aegocera venulia (Cramer, 1777), Anua coronata (Fabricius, 1976), Bradina diagonalis (Guenee, 1852), Archernis capitalis (Fabricius, 1794), Dinara combusta (Walker, 1855), Phalera raya (Moore, 1849), Euthrix potatoria (Linnaeus, 1758) and Ocinara varians (Walker, 1855) were reported. The species recorded under 8 families. i.e.Family Erebidae, Family Sphingidae, Family Geometridae, Family Noctuidae, family Crambidae, Family Notodontidae, Family Lasiocampidae and Family Bombycidae. Among them the most abundant family was Family Erebidae.

Mocis frugalis (Fabricius, 1775) was collected in Byeonsanbando National Park and reported as a newly recorded species in Korea. This species is known as a major crop pest abroad, and its domestic settlement is unclear.

The pinion-streaked snout Schrankia costaestrigalis is a new potato pest that has recently been recorded in China. In this study, we analyzed the complete mitochondrial genome of S. costaestrigalis. The results revealed the mitogenome (GenBank: OQ181231) to occur as a circular DNA molecule of 16,376 bp with 51.001% AT content, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and 1 control region. Notably, the PCGs exhibited typical ATN (Met) start codons, including cox1, which deviated from the usual CGA start codon observed in other lepidopteran mitogenomes, and followed the conventional TAN stop codons. The 22 tRNA genes demonstrated the ability to form a cloverleaf structure, with the exception of trnS1-NCU, which lacked the DHU arm present in other Erebidae mitogenomes. Additionally, conserved motifs like "ATAGA + poly-T (19 bp) stretch" and five microsatellite-like elements (TA) were identified in the AT-rich region. The phylogenetic trees revealed that the Hypenodinae subfamily forms an independent lineage closely related to Erebinae and Catocalinae. The comprehensive mitogenome of S. costaestrigalis will greatly enhance future studies focused on the molecular classification and phylogenetic understanding of the Hypenodinae subfamily within the larger family Erebidae.

The eggs of Capissa vagesa (Moore, 1859) and Trabala vishnou (Lefèbvre, 1827) from the families Erebidae and Lasiocampidae were examined and characterized under scanning electron microscope. Significant morphological traits on the eggshells of both analyzed species are presented in current study. Descriptions and comparative morphological assessments for both species of these moths are provided, in addition to the structural complexity of the eggs uncovered throughout the course of this study. This study showed that ultrastructural egg chorion features investigated in the current study i.e., shape of Micropylar rosette, polygonal cells, number of micropyles and aeropyles have high taxonomic significance at specific and generic levels, and these sort of investigations must be expanded to improve and elevate the morphological depiction at levels of earlier life stages in various moth families.

Here, we present multi-locus sequencing results from the enigmatic Afrotropical monotypic genus Egybolis Boisduval (occurring in East- and South Africa—previously placed in the subfamily Catocalinae, Noctuidae). Model-based phylogenetic analysis places Egybolis within a strongly supported clade comprising four Old World Tropical genera Cocytia Boisduval, Avatha Walker, Anereuthina Hübner, and Serrodes Guenée from the family Erebidae, subfamily Erebinae. Hence, we propose to formally assign the monotypic genus Egybolis to the subfamily Erebinae and the tribe Cocytiini. Timing of divergence analysis reveals the late Oligocene origin around 25 million years ago (Ma) for the tribe Cocytiini, and an early Miocene ( ~21 Ma) for the split between Cocytia and Egybolis.

Abstract Underwing moths in the genus Catocala Schrank are among the most charismatic of Lepidoptera. Catocala is also one of the most diverse genera worldwide in the speciose family Erebidae, but a phylogenetic framework for the genus is lacking. Here we reconstruct the first comprehensive molecular phylogeny for the genus based on 685 anchored hybrid enrichment loci sampled from 161 Catocala species (99 Nearctic, 62 Palearctic), four species of Ulotrichopus Wallengren and 33 outgroups. Phylogenetic analysis unambiguously recovers Catocala and Catocala + Ulotrichopus as monophyletic with strong support and resolves many backbone relationships within Catocala. Our results confirm the classification of previously proposed taxonomic subgroups of Catocala , including seven based on recent molecular/morphological evidence, and ten based on early twentieth‐century morphological research. Mapping of larval host plant use onto the tree shows Fabaceae to be the likely ancestral host plant family for Catocala and Catocala + Ulotrichopus . There appear to have been at least 18 independent larval host plant shifts to nine plant families, the most common shift being from Fabaceae to Fagaceae. Larval host plant use has likely played an important role in the evolutionary history of Catocala , with several rapid diversification events propelled by shifts to novel larval host plants, particularly in the North American Catocala fauna.

The identification of moths has been always dependent on characters like wing maculation, wing venation, male and female genitalic features, but the ultrastructural characters like egg chorion patterns have been completely ignored. These are equally important for identification. In the present study, scanning electron microscope was used to inspect, characterize, and depict eggs of two tiger moth species i.e., Andala unifascia Walker, 1855 and Creatonotos transiens (Walker, 1855) referable to family Erebidae. On the eggshells of both these species, morphological features have been observed and these are of great taxonomic value at species as well as at genus levels. These characters will enable identifying moths at much earlier stages of their life histories i.e., eggs.

We sequenced the mitogenomes of two Erebid species, namely Ischyja manlia (Cramer, 1776) and Rusicada privata (Walker, 1865) to analyse the phylogenetic relationship and to establish the taxonomic position of incertae sedis members of the family Erebidae. The two circular genomes of I. manlia and R. privata were 15,879bp and 15,563bp long, respectively. The gene order was identical, containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and an A + T-rich region. The nucleotide compositions of the A + T-rich region of both mitogenomes were similar: 80.65% for R. privata, and 81.09% for I. manlia. The AT skew and GC skew were slightly positive in I. manlia and negative in R. privata. In I. manlia and R. privata, except for cox1 which started with CGA and TTG codons, all the other 12 PCGs started with ATN codon. The A + T-rich regions of I. manlia and R. privata were 433 and 476bp long, respectively, and contained common characteristics of Noctuoidea moths. At present, Ischyja is treated as Erebinae incertae sedis. However, phylogenetic analysis conducted in the present study reveals that the genus Ischyja is most likely to be a member of the subfamily Erebinae.

The present biodiversity study was conducted in Himachal Pradesh, India to find the status of moth diversity in Chirpine forests. During the study, about 526 specimens of moths were collected with the help of light trap from different selected sites of Chirpine forests. All the specimens were sorted into 80 species of moths belonging to 71 genera and 11 families. Out of which 06 species from family Crambidae, 03 from family Drepanidae, 29 from family Erebidae, 01 species from family Euteliidae, 14 from Geometridae, 02 species from family Lasciocampidae, 18 species from family Noctuidae, 02 species from family Nolidae, 01 species of family Notodontidae, 03 species from family Sphingidae and 01 species from family Uraniidae were recorded. This is the first record of moth diversity study in the Chirpine forest of Himachal Pradesh.