Lepidoptera na UFPB Campus IV e entorno: inventário faunístico e primeiro registro de Zale fictilis (Erebidae) para o nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize Lepidoptera diversity at Campus IV of the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) and surrounding areas, located on the northern coast of Paraíba. It was structured into two chapters, combining a morphological faunal survey with molecular techniques to advance regional taxonomic knowledge. The first chapter presented a butterfly inventory based on active and passive sampling conducted between September 2025 and June 2026. A total of 322 individuals were recorded, representing 76 species in six families, with Nymphalidae being the most abundant. The second chapter applied integrative taxonomy, combining morphology with DNA barcoding using Nanopore technology, and documented the first record of the moth Zale fictilis in the state of Paraíba and in the Northeast region of Brazil. This finding is of significant phytosanitary interest, given the species’ potential to damage Citrus crops. Overall, the results highlight the ecological importance of local forest fragments and demonstrate the effectiveness of molecular tools and short-term inventories in addressing knowledge gaps in Brazilian biodiversity