ARPHA Preprints, doi: 10.3897/arphapreprints.e217003
An annotated checklist and distribution data of nocturnal Lepidoptera from Mut district (Mersin, Türkiye)
expand article infoYusuf Hüseyi̇noğlu‡
‡ Mersin University Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Mersin, Türkiye
Open Access
Abstract

Nocturnal Lepidoptera (moths) represent a highly diverse and ecologically significant insect group, yet baseline data from many Mediterranean regions remain scarce. This study presents the first comprehensive faunistic inventory of moths from the Mut district (Mersin, Türkiye), a biodiverse area in the northern Mediterranean zone. Standardised light trapping was conducted on 32 nights at 21 localities between 2021 and 2024, spanning an elevational gradient from 150 to 1750 m. The dataset comprises 192 species from 10 families, with Noctuidae (72 species) and Geometridae (43 species) being the most species-rich. All recorded species are newly documented for the Lepidoptera fauna of Mut. The data are presented as an annotated checklist, including collection localities, coordinates, altitudinal ranges, and phenological information. This dataset provides a critical baseline for monitoring biodiversity changes and contributes to understanding moth distribution patterns in the eastern Mediterranean.

Keywords
Biodiversity inventory, checklist, light trapping, Mediterranean, moths, Lepidoptera
login to comment