India records 13,703 species of butterflies and moths, 8.25% of global total

India is home to 13,703 species of lepidoptera — butterflies and moths — accounting for about 8.25% of all known species across the globe, according to a new catalogue by the Zoological Survey of India.

The detailed Catalogue of Lepidoptera of India has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.

ZSI scientists Navneet Singh and Rahul Joshi took nearly 12 years to complete the work. It involved cataloguing, field exploration, museum curation, and rigorous literature verification.

The catalogue provides the most comprehensive record of India’s butterfly and moth diversity to date, highlighting the country’s significance as a global hotspot for lepidoptera.