Checklist of moths (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) of Lumami campus, Nagaland University, India

The present study was carried out to document the moth fauna of Lumami campus between February 2024 to April 2024 using the light trapping method with a 100 W LED bulb. A total of 106 species belonging to 83 genera under 12 families and seven superfamilies were recorded. The family Erebidae dominated with 46 species (43%), followed by Geometridae with 32 species (30%), Notodontidae with five species (4%), Crambidae and Saturniidae with four species each (4%), Drepanidae, Lasiocampidae, and Sphingidae with three species (3% each), Euteliidae and Nolidae with two species each (2%), and Zygaenidae and Noctuidae with one species each (1% each). Of the 106 moth species, 36 species are first reports from Nagaland; of which Geometridae dominates with 18 genera (e.g., Amblychia sp., Hypomecis seperata), followed by Erebidae with 13 genera (e.g., Asota heliconia, Dierna strigata, Ommatophora sp.), Euteliidae with two genera (e.g., Targalla apcifascia, Eutelia discistriga), and Nolidae with two genera (e.g., Westermannia superba, Xenochroa sp.). Species such as Acosmeryx naga are potential pollinators, and Chadisra bipartita is an indicator of forest health, as their decline suggests detrimental environmental changes such as increased pesticide use or habitat degradation. This study thereby offers baseline data for future studies on moth fauna as well as for the creation of sustainable forest development and conservation strategies.