Morphological and COI-based Identification of Species of the Hawkmoth Genus Theretra Hübner, 1819 (lepidoptera: Sphingidae) from Himachal Pradesh, India.

The diversity of Theretra Hübner, 1819, a genus from the mid-hill regions of Himachal Pradesh has not been documented in past. This study presents the first comprehensive survey of Theretra species from various localities within this region. The total of five species has been recorded from this area viz., Theretra nessus, T. alecto, T. clotho, T. oldenlandiae, and T. lycetus. The detailed morphological descriptions and illustrations of male genitalia for each species are provided, with emphasis on genitalic structures supporting accurate species identification. Diagnostic features at the genus level are also elaborated. To authenticate the morphological identification, molecular analysis using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequences has been carried out. The results reveal significant interspecific variation in genital morphology among the five species studied, highlighting the taxonomic relevance of genitalic characters in genus Theretra.