January 29, 2023

A Beginner's Field Guide to Moths of Malabar

I am very much excited that my book, titled 'A Beginner's Field Guide to Moths of Malabar' is getting published. As a beginner in the field, study of the largest taxons, the Moths, was immensely an arduous job. The main issue was regarding its taxonomic intricacies. Observing them and dredging for their identities became my palatable pursuit.This book features photographic records of over four hundred species of moths which were predominantly observed from my homestead at Alakkad, a village in Kannur District of Kerala. The book has been divided into to various chapters that basically help the readers to Identify moths more easily. The chapter, 'The World of Moths’ will help you to distinguish between moths and butterflies. Once you confirm the specimen as a moth, family level identification can be dealt with by referring to the chapter “Moths of Malabar”. Further identification to the level of genus/ species can be attempted by using the Plates along with its descriptions. Kindly note that this book probably details only a fraction of the total moth species that may be present in your area. Apart from this, notes regarding interesting behaviours, ecology and evolution of moths are also dealt in the book.

The book provides information about 50 moth families present in the region. Among which, 37 are micro-moth families, and the rest 13 are macro-moth families. The descriptions of the families include, the author and year of description (along with the heading); superfamily; note on etymology; wingspan range and antennae; features of head, labial palps, and proboscis; posture, global distribution and other features. In addition, photographs of the representatives in the families are incorporated along with. Sketches of a few micro-moth family members are also featured here.
The book also incorporates the photographic records of various moths. The scientific name of the moths are provided beneath each photograph, including the author and year of description. The descriptions of individual species are provided in the left hand side of the respective plate. The species level description includes, ground colour of the body, features of both forewings and hindwings along with the wingspan with respect to the posture. Distinguishing features of similar species are also mentioned for a few.I feel privileged and thankful that this field guide is published by the prestigious Alumni Association of The Department of Zoology, Payyanur College, (ZOSAPC). Hope it will be a useful reference for all nature enthusiasts, especially the beginners who wish to know more about moths.

Posted on January 29, 2023 09:37 AM by unnikrishnan_mp unnikrishnan_mp | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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