ZSI completes India's 1st national catalog of butterflies and moths
Big news for nature lovers: India just published its first comprehensive national catalog of butterflies and moths, wrapping up a 12-year project by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
The catalog features a whopping 13,703 species, giving researchers the first updated national baseline for biodiversity research, ecological monitoring, and conservation planning.
With this, India cements its spot as one of the world's megadiverse nations, home to 8.25% of all known butterfly and moth species.
Catalog documents 1,689 remaining species
Led by ZSI taxonomists Navneet Singh and Rahul Joshi, the catalog pulls together more than 100 years of scattered records into one easy reference.
It clears up confusion about species names and documents the remaining 1,689 species, and includes 2,205 Geometroidea moths.
ZSI Director Dhriti Banerjee says this resource is key for biodiversity research, ecological monitoring, and global conservation strategies.