First record of the rare moth Amana angulifera Walker, 1855 (Lepidoptera: Epicopeiidae) from India since the 19th century

Abstract

Amana angulifera Walker, 1855, a diurnal moth belonging to the family Epicopeiidae, was described from India based on a previously collected specimen. Though type locality was omitted in the original description, in the last decade of the 19th century, the habitat of the moth was mentioned to be Khasi Hills of the present Meghalaya state of India. It is also recorded from Yunnan in southern part of China. After a gap of more than a century, this paper reports the presence of the species again from India, this time in the Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China, filling a sampling gap within its distribution range. Further study of the moth in this region is recommended to fill the sampling gaps and assess its life cycle, population trends, abundance, phenological responses and inter-specific interactions with plants so that conservation measures may be taken up accordingly.