Molecular characterisation and the first global DNA barcoding record of Omiodes milvinalis using the COI gene from the Western Ghats

The present study provides the first global molecular characterisation and COI barcode for Omiodes milvinalis (Swinhoe, 1886) from the Western Ghats of Kerala, India. Genomic DNA was extracted, and the mitochondrial COI gene was amplified and sequenced. BLAST analysis revealed 92.9 - 94.0% similarity with congeners such as O. odontosticta, O. localis, and O. nigriscripta, confirming its affinity within the genus Omiodes while indicating distinct genetic divergence exceeding interspecific thresholds commonly used in Lepidoptera barcoding. Phylogenetic tree construction using the Neighbour-Joining (NJ) method (Kimura 2-Parameter model) placed O. milvinalis in a distinct clade, closely associated with Omiodes odontosticta (Australia) and Pexicopia sp. (Australia), with Troides minos as the outgroup. The topology supports its placement within Spilomelinae and validates its taxonomic distinctness. This first barcode record from India provides a valuable foundation for future phylogenetic, ecological, and conservation studies on Spilomelinae moths of the Western Ghats.