Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said on Saturday that scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered two previously unknown species of lichen moths.In a post on X, the minister described the findings as “a vital contribution to the documentation of India’s moth biodiversity,” and said the discovery highlights the need for continued taxonomic work in biodiversity hotspots such as the Himalayas.The research, published in the international taxonomic journal Zootaxa, also records seven new species of lichen from India in the same publication.Lauding the work of the researchers, Dhriti Banerjee, Director of the Zoological Survey of India, said detailed studies on lesser‑known groups like Lepidoptera are crucial for understanding ecosystem functioning and the role of air pollution indicator species in the Indian Himalaya, news agency PTI reported.The team identified the new moth species — Caulocerahollowayi (S. Singh, N. Singh & Bhattacharya, 2026) and Asura buxa (Bhattacharya, S. Singh & N. Singh, 2026) from specimens collected near Golitar in Sikkim and Panijhora in West Bengal, respectively.According to the researchers, the species are distinguished by unique arrangements of body scales, specific chaetotaxy (bristle patterns) and specialised appendage structures, as well as external morphological features such as wing colouration and fascia arrangements, and differences in external genitalic structures including the uncus, valva, tegumen, juxta and aedeagus.Banerjee noted that these moths serve as indicator species for air pollution.
