Archive · 31 Jul 2026
India Completes First Comprehensive Butterfly and Moth Catalogue
Scientists in India have finished a big book that lists every kind of butterfly and moth in the country.
The book has 13,703 species and brings together records that were spread out for more than a hundred years.
It was made by the Zoological Survey of India and took 12 years to finish.
The book shows that India has about 8% of all the butterflies and moths in the world.
This helps scientists keep track of nature and protect the animals.
India finished its first national catalogue of butterflies and moths after 12 years.
The catalogue lists 13,703 Lepidoptera species across the country.
It consolidates over a century of scattered taxonomic records.
The effort was led by the Zoological Survey of India.
India hosts 8.25% of global butterfly and moth species.
- Who
- Zoological Survey of India
- What
- Completed a national catalogue of butterflies and moths
- When
- Announced Thursday after a 12‑year effort
- Where
- India
- Why
- To provide an updated baseline for biodiversity research, ecological monitoring and conservation planning
- Number of species catalogued
- 13,703
- Number of genera
- 3,705
- Number of subfamilies
- 240
- Number of families
- 102
- Number of superfamilies
- 31
- Percentage of world species
- 8.25%
- Organization leading effort
- Zoological Survey of India