Taxonomic Study of Geometrinae Moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from the Northernmost Western Ghats of Nashik, Maharashtra, India
Jyoti Ayodhyaprasad Rajput
Department of Zoology & Research Centre, Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj’s K. R.T. Arts, B. H. Commerce and A.M. Science (K.T.H.M.) College, Nashik. 422002, Maharashtra, India and Department of Zoology, Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj’s G.M.D. Arts, B.W. Commerce and Science College Sinnar, Nashik. 422210, Maharashtra, India.
Sachin Arjun Gurule
*
Department of Zoology & Research Centre, Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj’s K. R.T. Arts, B. H. Commerce and A.M. Science (K.T.H.M.) College, Nashik. 422002, Maharashtra, India.
Aditi Sunil Shere-Kharwar
*
Department of Zoology, Gokhale Education Society’s H.P.T. Arts & R.Y.K. Science College, College Road, Nashik. 422005, Maharashtra, India.
Shahrukh Shamsuddin Maniyar
Department of Zoology & Research Centre, Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj’s K. R.T. Arts, B. H. Commerce and A.M. Science (K.T.H.M.) College, Nashik. 422002, Maharashtra, India and Department of Zoology, NVP Mandal’s Arts, Commerce and Science College, Lasalgaon, 422306, Maharashtra, India.
Gayatri Bhaskar Narayane
Department of Zoology & Research Centre, Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj’s K. R.T. Arts, B. H. Commerce and A.M. Science (K.T.H.M.) College, Nashik. 422002, Maharashtra, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Geometrinae moths in the northernmost Western Ghats of Maharashtra remain insufficiently documented at a focused taxonomic level. This study assessed Geometrinae diversity in Nashik district using specimens and observations obtained from seven localities between June 2021 and December 2024. The seven sampling localities ranged from 309 to 1,243 m in elevation, with six to 15 visits per site. Nocturnal surveys employed a light-sheet method, with selected specimens examined using external morphology, wing venation, and external genitalia. Seventeen species representing 13 genera and five tribes—Agathiini, Comibaenini, Geometrini, Hemitheini, and Pseudoterpnini—were documented. Hemitheini was the most species-rich tribe, with seven species. Thirteen species were recorded as new regional records for Nashik district. Recorded wingspans ranged from 14 to 42 mm. Examination of wing venation showed a consistent pattern across the studied species, with no marked deviation observed among the taxa. External genitalia were examined for all 17 species and, together with published diagnostic descriptions and illustrations, supported species-level identification. The findings provide locality-based taxonomic and distributional information for Geometrinae in the northernmost Western Ghats and establish a regional baseline for subsequent systematic work. Continued surveys across seasons, localities, and elevations, together with complementary larval host-plant and molecular data, would improve understanding of Geometrinae diversity and distribution in this part of Maharashtra.
Keywords: Geometrinae, Geometridae, emerald moths, Lepidoptera, taxonomy, wing venation, external genitalia, Western Ghats, Nashik, Maharashtra, regional records