Moths of Superfamily Pyraloidea (Lepidoptera) from Western Ghats (India)

The Western Ghats are quite diverse and unique due to their topography and climatic conditions.It cover an area of about 160,000 Km and stretches for 1600 km from the mouth 2 of river Tapti in the North to Cape Camorin in the South.Due to great diversity in flora and fauna, it is one of the hot biodiversity spots of India.The mountain ranges are with an average height of about 1200MSL running parallel to the Western coast of Southern India in the six states i.e., Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.Except single major gap of about 24 km called as 'PalGhat gap' alongwith some small passes like 'Goa gap', 'Bhor Ghat' and 'ThalGhat', these ranges of the Western Ghats are almost continuous upto the last end.The Western Ghats are also known by different states i.e., as the Sahyadri mountains in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Nilagirimalai in Tamil Nadu and Sahyaparvatam in Kerala.The highest peak (2,695 MSL) Anaimudi peak of the Western Ghats which lies in the ranges of the state of Kerala.The Anaimudi peak act as a central point from where three ranges radiate to different directions viz., the Anaimalai hills (North), the Palni hills (North-East) and the Cardamom hills (South).The order Lepidoptera is divided into primitive Lepidoptera, Early Heteroneura, Lower Ditrysia and Higher Ditrysia.Further, the Lower Ditrysia, the larvae of which are often concealed rather than external feeders, includes the Superfamilies viz., Tineoidea, Gracillarioidea, Yponomeutoidea, Gelechioidea, Cossoidea, Tortricoidea, Castnioidea, Sesioidea, Z y g a e n o i d e a , I m m o i d e a , C o p r o m o r p h o i d e a , Schreckensteinoidea, Urodoidea, Epermenioidea, Alucitoidea, Pterophoroidea, Hyblaeioidea, Thyridoidea and Pyraloidea (Scoble 1995).Four subfamilies i.e., Spilomemelinae, Pyraustiinae, Nymphulinae and Acentropinae moths belonging to family Crambidae of Superfamily Pyraloidea were collected and have been deal with during the present investigations from the area, under reference. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONTwenty-three species belonging to 21 genera of moths family Crambidae were collected and identified from the available literature (