Kakkadampoyil, a small village in Kozhikode district, Kerala, India bordered with Malappuram district stands on the Western top of the Western Ghats with dense forest, and deep valleys. Being one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world as well as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this area holds an enormous biodiversity. Back in March, 2023 I had an opportunity to visit this place with some amazing people in search for moths, the mysterious scaly winged fairies of nature.
We had encountered some truly rare and amazing moth species, which I can't help sharing with everyone here! Enjoy the taste of moths from Western Ghats!
Family: Immidae
Imma flaviceps (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874)
Tortricomorpha flaviceps Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874; Reise Fregatte Novara, Bd 2 (Abth. 2) (4): pl. 108, f. 4
Type Locality: Himalaya
Figure: Imma flaviceps (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874) from Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874: plate 108, figure 4.
Figure: Imma flaviceps (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874) from Kakkadampoyil, 23.iii.2023
This species is extremely rare as well as a mysterious one indeed! Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874 described this species from Himalaya (no mention of precise location). Though Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874 described this species, surprisingly they never stated any single word for the description or diagnostic features of this species except a single illustration only. Later on, E. Meyrick in his Exotic Microlepidoptera Volume-iii reported this species from Andamans (Port Blair). Neither Meyrick, nor Felder & Rogenhofer provided any detailed information on this species. Hence it is very difficult to trace the exact status of this species.
Imma mackwoodii (Moore, 1887)
Davendra mackwoodi Moore, 1887; Lepid. Ceylon 3 (4): 520, pl. 211, f. 13;
Type Locality: Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
Figure: Imma mackwoodii from Moore, 1887: plate 211, figure 13
Figure: Imma mackwoodii (Moore, 1887) from Kakkadampoyil, 23.iii.2023
F. Moore named this species after Mr. F. M. Mackwood who collected this specimen for F. Moore. Many sites and literature misspelled the species epithet as 'mackwoodi' though Moore originally described this species as 'mackwoodii'. This species is variable in its wing pattern.
Family: Gelechiidae
Tituacia deviella Walker, 1864
Tituacia deviella Walker, 1864; List Spec. Lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus. 29: 812
Type Locality: Sarawak, Borneo
Figure: Description of Tituacia deviella from Walker, 1864: 812
Figure: Tituacia deviella Walker, 1864: 812 from Kakkadampoyil, 23.iii.2023
This species was originally described in genus Tituacia as its type species. This genus is synonymized with genus Hypatima by many authors. However, Li & Zhen, 2009; Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 111(2), 433-437 revised genus Tituacia as an independent genus and described a further new species from China. The generic placement hence is based on this paper.
Family: Lecithoceridae
Antiochta pycnotarsa Park, 2001
Antiochta pycnotarsa Park, 2001; Ins. Koreana 18: 141
Type Locality: Kagella, Sri Lanka
Figure: Holotype of Antiochta pycnotarsa from Park, 2014
Figure: Antiochta pycnotarsa Park, 2001 from Kakkadampoyil, 23.iii.2023
This species was described only two decades ago from Sri Lanka. A very little number of observations are available for this species. The distribution, population status, ecology, and phenology are largely unknown till date.
Family: Pyralidae
Protoetiella venustella (Hampson, 1896)
Etiella venustella Hampson, 1896; Fauna Br. Ind. Incl. Ceyl. Bur. 4: 109
Type Locality: Bhutan (Dudgeon), Nagas (Doherty)
Figure: Illustration of Protoetiella venustella from Hampson, 1896: 109
Figure: Protoetiella venustella (Hampson, 1896) from Kakkadampoyil, 23.iii.2023
This species is indeed an amazing one with the antennae of male having a large sinus at base containing a thick ridge of large scales enclosing a hollow. The forewings are ornamented with black eye-like markings, possibly related to some kind of defense mechanism!!?
Family: Erebidae
''Euproctis'' luteifascia Hampson, 1892
Euproctis luteifascia Hampson, 1892; III. Het. viii: 57; pl 141, f. 2.
Type Locality: Nilgiris
Figure: Euproctis luteifascia from Hampson, 1892: plate 141, figure 2
Figure: ''Euproctis'' luteifascia Hampson, 1892
This species is till date sunk within the dustbin genus Euproctis but definitely this species belongs to elsewhere. Since there is no recent taxonomic publication available, the generic placement is provisional.
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