Diversity of moths from the urban set-up of Valmiki Nagar, Chennai, India

Abstract

A study was conducted at Valmiki Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India to explore its moth diversity from December 2018 to May 2021. This manuscript presents a partial checklist of moths from Valmiki Nagar. Four locations around the colony were studied to record the moth fauna. The study sites were surveyed twice a month using a mercury vapour lamp along with a white sheet, along with over 100 visits at night. Diurnal surveys were conducted bimonthly to observe larval host plants and day flying moths. A total of 135 species were recorded from the study area, belonging to nine superfamilies. The most diverse family of moths recorded was family Erebidae, with 39% of moths recorded in the study belonging to this family, followed by Crambidae (30%), Geometridae (8%), and other families constituting the rest. The moth diversity in the month of July was seen to be the highest. Along with this study, future studies on similar lines will help in documenting the moth diversity of Chennai.