A checklist of the superfamily Noctuoidea (Erebidae, Noctuidae, Euteliidae, and Nolidae) from Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve and Kodaikanal Hills in Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu is presented. We collected noctuoid moths monthly from June 2010 to December 2014. We collected 9095 individuals (5242 males and 3853 females) belonging to 188 species, 106 genera, 5 subtribes, 25 tribes, 26 subfamilies and 4 families. The most species-rich families were Erebidae (106 species) and Noctuidae (51 species). The Erebinae was found to be the richest subfamily with 64 species. Additional sampling might reveal 2-3 times more species.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the fruit piercing moth Eudocima phalonia (Linnaeus, 1763) (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea) was sequenced and characterized (Genbank Accession No: KY196412). The complete mitogenome is a circular molecule of 15,575 bp length, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rrnS and rrnL), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes and an A + T-rich region (D-loop). The nucleotide composition of the genome is highly A + T biased, accounting for 80.67% of nucleotides. All tRNAs have putative secondary structures that are characteristic of mitochondrial tRNA. Most of the PCGs were initiated by typical ATN codons. Five genes were initiated by unusual codons. Cox1 gene was initiated by an unusual CGA codon and terminated by the typical stop codon GAA. Six genes ended with a single T. The A + T-rich region of 336 bp consisted of repetitive sequences, including two ATAGA motifs, a 19 bp poly-T stretch and three microsatellite-like regions ((TA)4, (TA)6 and two (TA)7). Moreover, three large tandem (one 40 bp and two 25 bp) repeated elements were identified in A + T-rich region. Phylogenetic analysis using PCGs revealed that Superfamily Noctuoidea is a monophyletic group.

Kodaikanal hill station with its natural beauty and climatic conditions have become a noteworthy tourist spot in South India over the years. The ideal environmental condition and rich floral diversity homes for diverse fauna in Kodaikanal. Sphingid diversity of Kodaikanal has not been reported in the past. Through this study, we report the diversity and study of the external and genital morphologies of the genus Theretra Hubner, 1819 from Kodaikanal hills for the first time. A total of seven species were reported during the study, namely Theretra alecto, T. clotho, T. gnoma, T. nessus, T. oldenlandiae, T. pallicosta and T. silhetensis. Images and genitalia of male and female adult specimens are illustrated for each species.