First Report on Moth (Insecta: Lepidoptera) Diversity at Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, India
Atul Tikhe
Maharashtra Forest Department, M S., India.
Mahesh Jadhav
Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded, India.
Sandeep Potulwar
Maharashtra Forest Department, M S., India.
Shivaji Chavan *
Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera) are an important group of insects that play important roles in terrestrial ecosystems, contributing to pollination, herbivory and serving as prey for various predators. For many protected areas in India, moth documentation is incomplete or poor. Pench Tiger Reserve is one of the important tiger reserves in central India, located across the two states, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The present study aimed to document the baseline data on moth diversity in Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. In the study period from June 2020 to May 2023, 92 moth species from 19 families and 11 superfamilies were recorded from four locations, representing taxonomic diversity in the protected area. Erebidae (21%) and Crambidae (15%) were dominant families, followed by Noctuidae (13%), Geometridae (11%), Limacodidae (9%), and Sphingidae (7%). The most species-rich group was Noctuoidea, which was followed by Pyraloidea; the least represented groups were Cossoidea and Tineoidea. The presence of diverse moth species supports the presence of a stable ecosystem. The study also emphasizes how crucial protected forest ecosystems are to preserving ecological balance and insect biodiversity. The current study supports conservation management plans for India's protected forest ecosystems and adds to regional biodiversity databases.
Keywords: Lepidoptera, moth, pench tiger reserve, maharashtra, insecta