During National Moth Week, July 22-28, students from the Department of Wildlife Biology at the Government Arts College (GAC) in Udhagamandalam saw a total of 26 species of moths across the Nilgiris. According to B. Ramakrishnan, Head of the Department of Wildlife Biology, a census of moths in the Nilgiris was done on the GAC campus and Fingerpost at Udhagamandalam, Emerald, and Kotagiri. "A total of 26 species were recorded," Mr. Ramakrishnan said, adding that the Nilgiris had recorded a total of 146 moths throughout the years. "The species diversity recorded by the students was comparatively low, possibly due to the wet weather in the Nilgiris, which caused moths to be more dormant," the researchers write.
Arul Antony, Principal of the Government Arts College, Udhagamandalam, launched the "moth week" and the observations. Staff and Selva Jothi, a year III student seeking an M.Sc in wildlife biology, who received specific training to identify the species, recognised the species. The institution intends to conduct moth observations every year in the future in order to have a better knowledge of the species variety and density of moths in the district.
