Assessing Moth Diversity in Contrasting Land Use Types: Urban, Agricultural, and Forest Landscapes from Nashik District.

Data Records

The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 109 records.

This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.

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How to cite

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

Shere-Kharwar A S, Gurule S A, Patil S S (2024). Assessing Moth Diversity in Contrasting Land Use Types: Urban, Agricultural, and Forest Landscapes from Nashik District.. Version 1.2. Gokhale Education Society. Occurrence dataset. https://cloud.gbif.org/asia/resource?r=mothlanduse&v=1.2

Rights

Researchers should respect the following rights statement:

The publisher and rights holder of this work is Gokhale Education Society. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License.

GBIF Registration

This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: 02783ad9-00e8-44fd-89a6-80eec69926c3.  Gokhale Education Society publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by Participant Node Managers Committee.

Keywords

Occurrence; Moth; Western Ghats; Biodiversity; Urban habitat

Contacts

Geographic Coverage

The present work was carried out in Nashik district, Maharashtra, India.

Taxonomic Coverage

No Description available

Temporal Coverage

Project Data

The study is focused on assessing moth diversity in different land use types.

The personnel involved in the project:

Sampling Methods

Various methods can be used to collect moths, and the most appropriate method depends on the specific moth species. One commonly used method is the light trap, which involves setting up a light source such as a black light or mercury vapor lamp next to a sheet or similar surface to attract moths, followed by the identification of the collected moths. This method is especially effective for nocturnal moth species. We used the light trap method to gather moths. Light traps are sophisticated instruments extensively employed in scientific research, biodiversity monitoring, and pest control for moth collection. These intricately designed traps use artificial light sources to mimic natural moonlight or other sources that lure nocturnal insects, attracting moths.

Method step description:

1. Trap Type: Utilize light traps to draw in nocturnal moths, as they are highly effective for sampling during the night. Implement ultraviolet (UV) or fluorescent light sources, which are particularly appealing to a broad spectrum of moth species. Clearly indicate the type of light utilized for each trap to ensure uniformity across sampling locations and minimize variability in trap efficiency. Maintain consistency in the power source, whether using battery-operated options or a reliable electrical connection, to standardize light intensity and duration throughout the study duration.
2. Trap Design and Placement: Adopt a uniform trap design to enable comparability across different sites. Light traps should be firmly positioned at each sampling site, ideally placed at a height and angle that maximizes moth attraction while reducing disturbances from adjacent vegetation or artificial lighting. Clearly outline the spacing between traps and habitat features to consider habitat-specific factors that may affect moth activity.
3. Operation Protocol: Operate light traps during predetermined nighttime sampling hours (for instance, from dusk to dawn) to ensure temporal consistency. Activate traps under similar environmental conditions, steering clear of extreme weather occurrences (such as heavy rainfall or strong winds) that could interfere with moth activity or distort sampling findings.
4. Sampling Frequency: Light traps will be set up to operate from evening to morning, specifically between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM, on selected sampling nights to maintain a consistent sampling effort across all locations. Trapping will occur 2-3 times monthly at each location, allowing for an adequate sampling frequency to capture both immediate and seasonal changes in moth activity. This routine schedule facilitates a thorough evaluation of moth diversity over time while minimizing disruptions to local moth populations.
5. Trap Monitoring: To avoid overcrowding and protect the specimens caught, traps will be inspected every 2-3 hours during the sampling period. This regular monitoring ensures careful collection and preservation of specimens while maintaining their physical integrity for accurate identification. During each inspection, moths will be gently removed and preserved following standardized protocols, guaranteeing the uniformity of specimen quality across all sampling events.

Additional Metadata