Conogethes pluto ( Butler, 1887 )

Rao, B. Sumit Kumar & Sivaperuman, Chandrakasan, 2025, Contribution to the knowledge of Pyraloid moths (Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea) from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 11 (1), pp. 129-149 : 134-135

Conogethes pluto ( Butler, 1887) ( Figs 2F, 4E, 5E)

Omiodes pluto Butler, 1887:121 . TL: Solomon Islands (Alu).

Material examined. 1♂, Sastri Nagar , 37 km, Great Nicobar Island, 03-XI-2018, coll. B. Sumit Kumar Rao, (Reg. No. ZSI / ANRC /T-16586) .

Diagnosis. Conogethes pluto closely resembles Conogethes sahyadriensis Shashank, Kammar, Mally &

Chakravarthy, 2018 in the colouration of its labial palpi, but can be differentiated through male genitalia by the evenly arched apex of the valva. Additionally, the elongate sclerotization extending from the harpe towards the valva base in Conogethes pluto terminates before reaching the vicinity of the ventral valva base, whereas in Conogethes sahyadriensis it extends further ventrally.

Distribution. Australia, India (West Himalayas, Great Nicobar—Present Study), New Guinea, Thailand ( Chaovalit et al., 2019; El-Sayed et al., 2013; Sanyal et al., 2018).

Remarks. This record contributes to the increasing evidence of intricate biogeographic patterns. The presence of Conogethes pluto in this region raises intriguing questions about the distribution and diversity within the Conogethes genus. Our findings may indicate a wider but previously underreported distribution of Conogethes pluto across regions such as Borneo, Sumatra, and Java. Alternatively, these records could reflect cryptic diversity within the genus, highlighting the need for further investigation. Mally's collection of a Conogethes sahyadriensis specimen in Sabah, Borneo, suggests a broader distribution of this species across South and Southeast Asia than previously recognized (Richard Mally, pers. comm.). This observation, combined with Singh et al. (2022b) report of Conogethes sahyadriensis from the Great Nicobar Islands, indicates that both Conogethes pluto and Conogethes sahyadriensis may be present in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.