Part of: Prelims and GS-III Science and technology
Context: Recently, a new study has revealed that moths (especially nocturnal pollinators) are vital to pollination in the Himalayan ecosystem of northeast India.
Key Highlights of the study
The study establishes 91 species of moths as potential pollinators of 21 plant families in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the northeastern Himalayas.
The results assume significance as a majority of the pollination-related studies are based on diurnal pollinators (bees and butterflies) and the role of nocturnal pollinators have so far received less scientific attention.
Teliphasa sp. (Crambidae) and Cuculia sp. (Noctuidae) are found to carry the highest quantity of pollen.
About Moths
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order.
Generally moths are considered mysterious denizens of nights, and for a long time they were better known as pest species.
There are about 12,000 moth species in India and about 160,000 moth species in the world, and the study can go a long way in understanding the role of the nocturnal insect pollinators.
Compared with butterflies, moths have stouter bodies and duller colouring.
Moths also have distinctive feathery or thick antennae.
The moth life cycle has four stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult (imago).
The larvae and adults of most moth species are plant eaters.
