Environment News

National Catalogue of Butterflies and Moths

August 9 , 2026 9 hrs 0 min 66 0

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced the completion of the National Catalogue of Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths), the final volume was published in Zoo Taxa.
India Achieves Historic Milestone in Biodiversity Science.
Indian Lepidoptera is 13,703 species across 3,705 genera, 240 subfamilies, 102 families, and 31 superfamilies.
It represents approximately 8.25% of all known butterfly and moth species worldwide.
India is a Global Hotspot for Geometroidea Moths.
key milestone within this initiative is the groundbreaking catalogue dedicated to the moth superfamily Geometroidea.
It is establishing India as a global sanctuary for nocturnal pollinators
Geometroidea in India is 2,205 species across 479 genera, 13 subfamilies, and 4 families
It accounts for 8.80% of the world's known species in this superfamily.
India's starkly contrasting ecosystems range from the high-altitude, freezing Himalayan zones to the humid, lush tropical rainforests of the Western Ghats—serving as evolutionary sanctuaries.