New distribution and range extension records of geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from two western Himalayan protected areas

Main Article Content

Pritha Dey
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3586-9235
Axel Hausmann

Abstract

 This article presents new distribution and range extension records (including new records from the state of Uttarakhand) of 12 species of the Geometridae family along with their taxonomic records. The records are based on field collections, where sampling was done along elevation and vegetation gradients in the buffer zones of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, two prominent protected areas in the western Himalayan Indian state of Uttarakhand. DNA barcoding was performed for some of the species for confirmation of identification in addition to the morphological identifications. Voucher specimens are deposited in a public repository for future reference. 

Article Details

Section
Communications

References

Arora, G.S. (1997). Insecta: Lepidoptera. Fauna of Conservation Area 9: Fauna of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Zoological Survey of India: 7–88.

Axmacher, J.C. & K. Fiedler (2009). Habitat type modifies geometry of elevational diversity gradients in geometrid moths (Lepidoptera Geometridae) on Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Tropical Zoology 21(2): 243–251.

Axmacher, J.C., G. Holtmann, L. Scheuermann, G. Brehm, K. Müller-Hohenstein & K. Fiedler (2004). Diversity of geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) along an Afrotropical elevational rainforest transect. Diversity and Distributions 10: 293–302.

Beck, J., C.M. McCain, J.C. Axmacher, L.A. Ashton, F. Bärtschi, G. Brehm, S.W. Choi, O. Cizek, R.K. Colwell, K. Fiedler, C.L.Francois, S. Highland, J.D.Holloway, J. Intachat, T. Kadlec, R.L. Kitching, S.C. Maunsell, T. Merckx, A. Nakamura, E. Odell, W. Sang, P.S. Toko, J. Zamecnik, Y. Zoi & V. Novotny (2017). Elevational species richness gradients in a hyperdiverse insect taxon: a global meta-study on geometrid moths. Global Ecology and Biogeography 26(4): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12548

Brehm, G. (2017). A new LED lamp for the collection of nocturnal Lepidoptera and a spectral comparison of light-trapping lamps. Nota Lepidopterologica 40(1): 87–108. https://doi.org/10.3897/nl.40.11887

Brehm, G., P. Strutzenberger & K. Fiedler (2013). Phylogenetic diversity of geometrid moths decreases with elevation in the tropical Andes. Ecography 36: 1247–1253. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2013.00030.x

Brehm, G., D. Zeuss & R.K. Colwell (2018). Moth body size increases with elevation along a complete tropical elevational gradient for two hyperdiverse clades. Ecography 42(4): 632–642. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.03917

Brehm, G., L. Murillo-Ramos, P. Sihvonen, A. Hausmann, B.C. Schmidt, E. Õunap, A. Moser, R. Mörtter, D. Bolt, F. Bodner, A. Lindt, L.E. Parra & N.Wahlberg (2019). New World geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae): Molecular phylogeny, biogeography, taxonomic updates and description of 11 new tribes. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 77(3): 457–486.

Chandra, K., V. Kumar, N. Singh, A. Raha & A.K. Sanyal (2019). Assemblages of Lepidoptera in Indian Himalaya through Long Term Monitoring Plots. Zoological Survey of India, 457pp.

Cheng, W., R.C. Kendrick, F. Guo, S. Xing, M.W. Tingley & T.C. Bonebrake (2019). Complex elevational shifts in a tropical lowland moth community following a decade of climate change. Diversity and Distributions 25(4): 514–523. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12864

Cotes, E.C. & C. Swinhoe (1886). A catalogue of Moths of India. Order of Trustees of the Indian Museum, 801pp.

deWaard, J.R., N.V. Ivanova, M. Hajibabaei & P.D.N. Hebert (2008). Assembling DNA barcodes: analytical protocols. In Martin C. (ed.). Methods in molecular biology: environmental genetics. Totowa: Humana Press: 275–293. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-548-0_15

Dey, P., V.P. Uniyal & A.K. Sanyal (2015). Moth assemblages (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) as a potential conservation tool for biodiversity monitoring–study in western Himalayan protected areas. Indian Forester 141(9): 985–992.

Dey, P., V.P. Uniyal & K. Chandra (2017). A Prefatory Estimation of Diversity and Distribution of Moths in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Western Himalaya, India. National Academy Science Letters 40(3): 199–203. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40009-016-0534-1

Dey, P., A. Hausmann & V.P. Uniyal (2019). Towards creating a DNA barcode reference library of geometrid moths from western Himalaya, India. Spixiana 42(1): 47–59.

Dey, P. (2019). Diversity assesment and molecular characterization of the Geometridae moths (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Uttarakhand. PhD Thesis, Saurashtra University, 291pp.

Hallmann, C.A., M. Sorg, E. Jongejans, H. Siepel, N. Hofland, H. Schwan, W. Stenmans, A. Müller, Hubert Sumser, T. Hörren, D. Goulson & H. de Kroon (2017). More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas. PLoS ONE 12(10): e0185809. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185809

Hampson, G.F. (1892). Fauna of British India Moths 1. Taylor & Francis, London, 527pp.

Hampson, G.F. (1894). Fauna of British India Moths 2. Taylor & Francis, London, 528pp.

Hampson, G.F. (1895). Fauna of British India Moths 3. Taylor & Francis, London, 517pp.

Hampson, G.F. (1896). Fauna of British India Moths 4. Taylor & Francis, London, 595pp.

Inoue, H. (2000). Perizoma Hübner (Larentiinae, Geometridae) from Nepal. Moths of Nepal Part 6, Tinea 16 (Suppl.1): 45–62

Ivanova, N.V., J.R. deWaard & P.D.N. Hebert (2006). An inexpensive, automation friendly protocol for recovering high‐quality DNA. Molecular Ecology Resources 6(4): 998–1002. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-8286.2006.01428.x

Kirti, J.S., T. Goyal & M. Kaur (2009). Morphology of the external male genitalia of five Indian geometrid species (Lepidoptera). Journal of Threatened Taxa 1(9): 484–487. https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o1814.484-7

Kirti, J.S., T. Goyal & M. Kaur (2007). A preliminary report on the Geometrid moths of District Solan (Himachal Pradesh). Bionotes 9(3): 91.

Kirti, J.S., M. Kaur & T. Goyal (2008a). Economic importance of the Geometrid Ennominae moths in Himachal Pradesh. Bionotes 10(2): 56–57.

Kirti, J.S., M. Kaur & T. Goyal (2008b). Studies on genitalic structures of six commonly known Geometrid species (Lepidoptera) from Himachal Pradesh. Journal of Entomology Research 32(2): 161–169.

Kirti, J.S., M. Kaur & T. Goyal (2011). Studies on Internal genitalic Structures of Two Indian Species of Genus Agathia Guenee (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Geometrinae). Indian Journal of Entomology 73(4): 298–302.

Kirti, J.S., N. Singh & A. Saxena (2014). Seven New Records of Geometrid Moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) From India. Journal of Applied Bioscience 40(2): 113–116.

Kirti, J.S., K. Chandra, A. Saxena & N. Singh (2019). Geometrid moths of India. Nature Books India, 296pp.

Lister, B.C. & A. Garcia (2018). Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure a rainforest food web. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115(44): E10397-E10406. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1722477115

Minet J. & M.J. Scoble (1999). The Drepanoid/Geometroid assemblage, pp. 301–320. In: Kristensen N.P. (ed.). Handbook of Zoology, part 35, Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterfies, vol. 1, Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. De Gruyter, Berlin.

Meinertzhagen, C.R. (1928). Some biological problems connected with the Himalaya. Ibis 70: 480–502. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1928.tb08733.x

Murillo-Ramos, L., G. Brehm, P. Sihvonen, A. Hausmann, S. Holm, H. Ghanavi, E. Õunap, A. Truuverk, H.S. Staude, E. Friedrich, T. Tammaru & N. Wahlberg (2019). A comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Geometridae (Lepidoptera) with a focus on enigmatic small subfamilies. PeerJ 7: e7386. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7386

New, T.R. (2004). Moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera) and conservation: background and perspective. Journal of Insect Conservation 8: 79–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-004-1329-0

Pajni, H.R. & V.K. Walia (1984a). On a new species of genus Chloeres Turner with comments on Indian species. Geobios New Reports 3: 139–141.

Pajni, H.R. & V.K. Walia (1984b). Taxonomic studies on Indian Geometridae I. Genus Chlorissa Stephens (Subfamily: Geometrinae). Entomon 9(1): 39–46.

Ratnasingham, S. & P.D.N. Hebert (2007). BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data System (http://www.barcodinglife.org). Molecular Ecology Resources 7(3): 355–364. https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1471-8286.2007.01678.x

Ratnasingham, S. & P.D.N. Hebert (2013). A DNA-based registry for all animal species: The Barcode Index Number (BIN) system. PloS ONE 8(7): p.e66213. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066213

Roonwal, M.L., R.N. Mathur, G.D. Bhasin, P.N. Chatterjee, P.K. Sen-Sarma, B. Singh, A. Chandra, R.S. Thapa & K. Kumar (1963). A systematic catalogue of the main identified entomological collection at the Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun. Indian Forest Leaflet 121(4) Entomology, Part 31 (Lepidoptera): 1295–1395

Rose, H.S. (1986). A new species of the genus Chlorissa Stephens from north India (Geometridae: Lepidoptera). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 82(3): 614– 616.

Sanyal, A.K. (2015). Diversity and distribution of moth assemblages along altitudinal gradient in Gangotri landscape. PhD Thesis. Saurashtra University, 418pp.

Sanyal, A.K., P. Dey, V.P. Uniyal, K. Chandra & A. Raha (2017). Geometridae Stephens, 1829 from different altitudes in Western Himalayan Protected Areas of Uttarakhand, India. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterología 45(177): 143–163.

Sanyal, A.K., V.P. Uniyal, K. Chandra & M. Bhardwaj (2011). Diversity and indicator species of moth (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) assemblages in different vegetation zones in Gangotri Landscape, Western Himalaya, India. ENVIS Bulletin: Arthropods and their Conservation (Insects & Spiders) 14(1): 116–132.

Sanyal, A.K., V.P. Uniyal, K. Chandra & M. Bhardwaj (2013). Diversity, distribution pattern and seasonal variation in moth assemblages along altitudinal gradient in Gangotri landscape area, western Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5(2): 3646–3653. https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2597.3646-53

Sato, R. (1993). Geometridae: Ennominae, pp.5–30. Moths of Nepal Part 2, Tinea 13 (Suppl.3), The Japan Heterocerists’ Society, Tokyo, 207pp.

Scoble, M.J. & A. Hausmann (2007): Online list of valid and nomenclaturally available names of the Geometridae of the World. Accessed on: 10th June, 2020 http://www.herbulot.de/globalspecieslist.htm

Sihvonen, P. & M. Siljander (2005). Species diversity and geographical distribution of Scopulini moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Sterrhinae) on a world–wide scale. Biodiversity & Conservation 14(3): 703–721. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-004-3921-8

Sihvonen, P., M. Mutanen, L. Kaila, G. Brehm, A. Hausmann & H.S. Staude (2011). Comprehensive molecular sampling yields a robust phylogeny for geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). PLoS ONE 6(6): e20356. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0020356

Sihvonen, P., L. Murillo‐Ramos, G. Brehm, H. Staude & N. Wahlberg (2020). Molecular phylogeny of Sterrhinae moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae): towards a global classification. Systematic Entomology 45(3): 606–634. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12418

Smetacek, P. (1994). The hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) of Kumaon, N. India: A probable cause of faunal drift. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta Occasional papers 156: 1–55.

Smetacek, P. (2004). Corymica Walker, Lepidoptera: Geometridae, in the Kumaon Himalaya, with the description of a new form of C. deducata caustolomaria Moore. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 101(1): 173–176.

Smetacek, P. (2008). Moths recorded from different elevations in Nainital district, Kumaon Himalaya, India. Bionotes 10(1): 5–15.

Sondhi, Y. & S. Sondhi (2016). A partial checklist of moths (Lepidoptera) of Dehradun, Mussoorie and Devalsari in Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(5): 8756–8776. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2814.8.5.8756-8776

Stüning, D. & V.K. Walia (2009). The genus Astygisa Walker, 1864 in India, with description of a new species from Western Himalaya (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae). Tinea 21(1): 9–22

Van Nieukerken, E.J., L. Kaila, I.J. Kitching, N.P. Kristensen, D.C. Lees, J. Minet, C. Mitter, Mutanen, M, J.C. Regier, T.J. Simonsen, N. Wahlberg, S. Yen, R. Zahiri, D. Adamski, J. Baixeras, D. Bartsch, B.Å. Bengtsson, J.W. Brown, S.R. Bucheli, D.R. Davis, J. dePrins, W. De Prins, M.E. Epstein, P. Gentili-Poole, C. Gielis, P. Hättenschwiler, A. Hausmann, J.D. Holloway, A. Kallies, O. Karsholt, A.Y. Kawahara, J. Koster, M. Kozlov, J.D. Lafontaine, G. Lamas, J. Landry, S. Lee, M. Nuss, K. Park, C. Penz, J. Rota, A. Schintlmeister, B.C. Schmidt, J. Sohn, M.A. Solis, G.M. Tarmann, A.D. Warren, S. Weller, R.V. Yakovlev, V.V. Zolotuhin & A. Zwick (2011). Order Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (ed.), Animal biodiversity: an outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 212–221.

Walia, V.K., Anju (2005). A new species of Chlororithra Butler from Himachal Pradesh in India, with comments on its taxonomic status (Lepidoptera:Geometridae: Geometrinae). Polish Journal of Entomology 74(1): 73–80.

Walia, V.K. & H.R. Pajni (1987). Studies on the Geometridae (Lepidoptera) of North West India - Subfamily Scopulinae. Research Bulletin of the Panjab University, Science 38(3–4): 9–14.

Walia, V.K. (1988). Studies on the Geometridae (Lepidoptera) of North-West India -Subfamily Geometrinae. Research Bulletin of the Panjab University, Science 39(1/2): 101–107.

Walia, V.K. (2005). Insecta: Lepidoptera: Geometridae (Moths). Zoological Survey of India, Fauna of Western Himalaya 2: 181–190.

Yazaki, K. (1993). Geometridae, pp. 103–121. In: Moths of Nepal Part 2, Tinea 13 (Suppl.3), Japan Heterocerists’ Society, Tokyo, 207pp.

Yazaki, K. (1995). Geometridae, pp.2–20. In: Moths of Nepal Part 4, Tinea 14 (Suppl. 2), Japan Heterocerists’ Society, Tokyo, 207pp.

Yazaki, K. (2000). Geometridae, pp. 9–14. In: Moths of Nepal Part 6, Tinea 16 (Suppl.1), Japan Heterocerists’ Society, Tokyo, 186pp.