Rare Indian moon moth species sighted in Trichy

The Times of India , Monday, December 14, 2015
Correspondent : Harish Murali
TRICHY: A nocturnal moth species that had become endangered in recent years was found in the central regions of the state by a team of researchers from a city college.

Q Ashoka Chakkarvarathy, ecologist and teacher of environmental sciences, department of foundation courses, St. Joseph's College, who sighted the species this year, said the Indian moon moth (Actias selene) was first sighted by school children Mahadevan, Praveen and N Geetha, head mistress of the Panchayat Union Elementary School, Kavundampatti, near Mannachanallur in 2012 during the monsoon season.

Ever since the first finding, the researcher had been on the lookout for the species, and it was spotted this monsoon in the same school.

Ashoka says there was evidence that this species was commonly found in and around Trichy region, but today its population had dwindled.

The Indian moon moth (Actias selene) belongs to the saturniidae family and is among the largest of moths. It can produce up to three generations of brood a year. The researcher says the species is fast vanishing as forests are being cleared for agricultural purposes and these are gradually being converted to residential land that sees constant construction activity.

"Moths migrate because of climate change, to seek food or mud puddling where male butterflies extract minerals and water from the wet soil that they transfer to the females during mating," he added.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Rare-Indian-moon-moth-species-sighted-in-Trichy/articleshow/50165139.cms
 


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