Furthermore, the specimen tracked from Palghar showed a divergence of 0.6 percent and did not completely match the subspecies found in Israel. (Figurative)
First, a subspecies of moth of the Olepa genus of Western Ghats was discovered. Although there are some Olepa subspecies commonly found in India and Sri Lanka, this is the first time that Olepa Schlein, the subspecies, has been discovered. They were found in the Nandurbar and Palghar districts of Maharashtra.
This specimen from India has close ties to Olepa Schlein, a subspecies found in Israel, the only place outside of South and Southeast Asia where these moths are known. The discovery in Israel was confirmed in 2005.
Taking into account the zoogeographic variations between Israel and India, separated by more than 4,500 km, it was initially very doubtful to find this subspecies. DNA taxonomic and barcode studies showed that the morphological and male genital descriptions of specimens from Maharashtra had close links to those found in Israel.
“This is the first time that Olepa Schlein has been reported in India. The characteristics of the specimen found in Nandurbar showed 100% similarity to that found in Israel, “said Aparna Kalawate, a scientist at the Zoological Survey of India (Western Regional Center), located in Pune.
Furthermore, the specimen tracked from Palghar showed a divergence of 0.6 percent and did not completely match the subspecies found in Israel.

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