Entomologists from Altai State University develop cooperation with Indian universities
The work was carried out in collaboration of entomologists from Altai State University and scientists from two universities in the southernmost state of India, Tamil Nad: Tamil Nad and Annamalai Universities.
“Woodworms of the genus Xyleutes are huge butterflies, from 10 to 22 cm. They are almost birds - one of the largest insects on the planet,” says Roman Yakovlev, professor of the Department of Ecology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology at the Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Altai State University, Doctor of Biological Sciences. “Quite unexpectedly, my Indian colleagues kindly provided me with materials from South India for joint research - from the amazing places of the Western Ghats. This is a mountain range in the very south of Hindustan which is little studied. The Western Ghats and the island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) are considered one of the so-called biodiversity hotspots on Earth. Our new species is slightly smaller - 8-9 cm in wingspan. My Indian colleagues advised me to name it after the famous professor-entomologist Dr. Vilayanoor V. Ramamurthy. I consider this an unexpected finding - a new large insect found today is a great rarity. There is little doubt that caterpillars of this species cause significant damage to the forests of South India, since their closest relatives cause significant damage to the most important species used in forestry in South and Southeast Asia."
It should be noted that this article is a continuation of a series of works based on the results of scientific missions of Professor Roman Yakovlev to Calcutta within the framework of Thomas Witt-Stifftung.