Diversity of geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometroidea) from northernmost Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India, with notes on range extension.

Surveys conducted across eight localities between 2022 and 2024 recorded 286 individuals representing 77 species and 9 genus-level morphotypes within the superfamily Geometroidea. These taxa span 46 genera, 20 tribes, and 7 subfamilies under two families, namely Geometridae (73 species) and Uraniidae (4 species).

Sampling was carried out across an elevational gradient of 309–1243 m asl using non-invasive light-sheet methods supplemented with opportunistic photographic observations. The most species-rich subfamilies were Ennominae (29 species), Sterrhinae (22 species), and Geometrinae (17 species). Genera such as Scopula, Chiasmia, and Comibaena were frequently encountered, indicating ecological generalism and strong phototactic behavior.