New tiger moth genus discovered in Idukki highlights Western Ghats’ hidden biodiversity
Idukki: A team of researchers has discovered a new genus and species of tiger moth from the southern Western Ghats, highlighting how much of the region’s insect diversity remains unknown.
The new species has been named Antaram idukki. Belonging to the tiger moth subfamily Arctiinae (Erebidae), it was found in Kerala’s Idukki district. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society.
The study was carried out by an international team: Aparna Sureshchandra Kalawate of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Western Regional Centre, Pune; Alberto Zilli, former senior curator of Lepidoptera at the Natural History Museum, London; Muhamed Jafer Palot of ZSI, Western Ghats Regional Centre, Kozhikode; and naturalist Balakrishnan Valappil.
Researchers said the discovery is significant because descriptions of entirely new genera are relatively rare, especially in Arctiinae. The genus name Antaram is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘difference’. It is currently known only from Idukki and is distinguished from related genera by a unique combination of external and genital morphological characters. Members of the subfamily are usually larger moths.
According to the team, the newly discovered genus appears to be extremely rare. Its larval host plant and life history remain unknown. Habitat degradation and vegetation changes may threaten its survival before its biology is fully understood.
The discovery adds to Idukki’s growing list of insect records and reinforces the Western Ghats’ status as a biodiversity hotspot where many evolutionary lineages are yet to be documented.
