Unwanted guests: The first records of two established non-native moth species in the Caucasus, with notes on non-native fauna of Georgia

This study aims to expand our current knowledge of biological invasions of Georgia by reporting the first records of two non-native moth genera Micromelalopha Nagano, 1916 (Notodontidae), and Antheraea Hübner, 1819 (Saturniidae) from the South Caucasus, based on three male specimens of Micromelalopha sieversi (Staudinger, 1892) and five male specimens of Antheraea pernyi (Guérin-Méneville, 1855). These findings are based on recent field collections, supported by morphological examination and DNA barcoding, and contribute to a better understanding of the region's shifting lepidopteran fauna and potential bio-invasion risks. Additionally, we provide the first comprehensive list of non-native animal species recorded in Georgia, based on literary and online sources.

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Publication Details

Journal
Caucasiana
Published
2025-10-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.4.e168433
Primary Topic
Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Unwanted guests: The first records of two established non-native moth species in the Caucasus, with notes on non-native fauna of Georgia

Lasha-Giorgi Japaridze, Armen Seropian
Caucasiana
Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
article

Unwanted guests: The first records of two established non-native moth species in the Caucasus, with notes on non-native fauna of Georgia

Lasha-Giorgi Japaridze, Armen Seropian
article en

Abstract

This study aims to expand our current knowledge of biological invasions of Georgia by reporting the first records of two non-native moth genera Micromelalopha Nagano, 1916 (Notodontidae), and Antheraea Hübner, 1819 (Saturniidae) from the South Caucasus, based on three male specimens of Micromelalopha sieversi (Staudinger, 1892) and five male specimens of Antheraea pernyi (Guérin-Méneville, 1855). These findings are based on recent field collections, supported by morphological examination and DNA barcoding, and contribute to a better understanding of the region's shifting lepidopteran fauna and potential bio-invasion risks. Additionally, we provide the first comprehensive list of non-native animal species recorded in Georgia, based on literary and online sources.

CaucasianaVol. 4
Ilia State University (GE), Agricultural University of Georgia (GE)
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
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Unwanted guests: The first records of two established non-native moth species in the Caucasus, with notes on non-native fauna of Georgia — Lasha-Giorgi Japaridze, Armen Seropian · Caucasiana (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS