Moth diversity (Lepidoptera) of Shendurney and Ponmudi in Agastyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Kerala, India: an update

Abstract

In 2018, we published a checklist of 282 moths from Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary and Ponmudi, located in Agastyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Kerala, India (Sondhi et al., 2018). In the 2018 paper, 244 moth species were identified to species level and another 38 to generic level, while 130-140 specimens remained unidentified. In this paper, we identify and add another 79 species to the checklist of Shendurney and Ponmudi. Of these new additions, Xanthanomis vomeroi Holloway & Zilli, 2005, is a new genus and species, hitherto unreported from mainland India. Adrapsa geometroides (Walker, [1858]) and Pterocyclophora pictimargo Hampson, 1893 are recorded from India for the first time. We confirm the validity of a record of Biston strigaria (Moore, 1879), by comparing male genitalia with Biston suppressaria (Guenée, [1858]). Updates in taxonomy and corrections in identifications of the 2018 paper are also listed. An updated checklist of moths of Shendurney and Ponmudi, listing 353 species, along with museum specimen information is provided as supplementary data.