Kolkata, July 30, 2026

In a historic achievement for national biodiversity conservation and taxonomic research, the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, officially announced the completion of the comprehensive Catalogue of Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths) of India.

Spearheaded by ZSI taxonomists Dr. Navneet Singh and Dr. Rahul Joshi, this monumental project represents over 12 years of continuous, dedicated effort involving extensive field exploration, museum curation, and rigorous literature verification. The final definitive volume of this series, authored by Dr. Rahul Joshi and Dr. Navneet Singh, has been published in the prestigious international scientific journal Zootaxa.

This achievement bridges critical taxonomic gaps that persisted for more than 100 years since the first historical attempts to document the region's insect fauna. It firmly positions India among a select group of megadiverse nations possessing a fully updated, centralized, and authoritative baseline inventory of its butterfly and moth diversity.

The culmination of this landmark project across 22 distinct catalogue volumes establishes an updated taxonomic baseline for Indian Lepidoptera:

India harbours 13,703 species of butterflies and moths across 3,705 genera, 240 subfamilies, 102 families, and 31 superfamilies.

Indian Lepidoptera represents approximately 8.25% of all known butterfly and moth species worldwide.

The concluding publication in Zootaxa catalogued the final remaining 1,689 species, establishing clear taxonomic resolution across dozens of previously unresolved families.

Highlight: India as a Global Hotspot for Geometroidea Moths

A key milestone within this initiative is the groundbreaking catalogue dedicated to the moth superfamily Geometroidea, establishing India as a global sanctuary for nocturnal pollinators:

India hosts 2,205 species of Geometroidea across 479 genera, 13 subfamilies, and 4 families—accounting for 8.80% of the world's known species in this superfamily.

Family Composition:

Geometridae: Dominate the superfamily with 2,100 species in 445 genera.

Uraniidae: 95 species in 27 genera.

Epicopeiidae: 9 species in 6 genera.

Pseudobistonidae: 1 species in 1 genus.

(Note: The family Sematuridae is absent from Indian fauna, being largely restricted to the New World).

The most speciose subfamilies include Ennominae (895 species in 189 genera), Larentiinae (565 species in 128 genera), and Geometrinae (309 species in 82 genera). The subfamilies Epidesmiinae (Geometridae) and Heraculinae (Pseudobistonidae) are each represented by a single species in India.

Butterflies and moths play crucial roles in maintaining ecological equilibrium. They serve as essential herbivores, detritivores, and pollinators, while acting as vital food resources for birds, bats, and other insectivores. Additionally, many species directly impact agriculture and Forestry management.

India's starkly contrasting ecosystems—ranging from the high-altitude, freezing Himalayan zones to the humid, lush tropical rainforests of the Western Ghats—serve as evolutionary sanctuaries. By standardizing scattered taxonomic data into a single, highly structured reference, these catalogues supply conservationists, researchers, and policymakers with the essential framework needed for climate change impact studies, ecological monitoring, and biodiversity management across South Asia.

Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Director, ZSI today stated, "These catalogue volumes will serve as a vital national asset for biodiversity research, ecological monitoring, and global conservation strategies. Such comprehensive catalogues ensure these species are given an authoritative voice, a clear legal identity, and a permanent place in scientific history."

 

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SSS/Kol/30.7.26…….

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