In line with the previous years, Himalayan Nature & Adventure Foundation (HNAF) once again observed National Moth Week — the annual, global citizen science project aimed at encouraging people to learn about, observe, and document moths in their backyards, parks, and neighborhoods. It was held between 20th-28th July, 2024. Accordingly, moth screenings for a team of twenty seven participants were organized on two nights (intervening nights between 26-27th and 27-28th, July 2024) within the campus of Mystery Garden, a homestay situated in Takna Village in Kalimpong district of West Bengal.Takna, a quaint Himalayan hamlet, sits on top of a spur in Lolay Khasmahal, at an altitude of approximately 6000 ft. It overlooks the Relli River valley to the north and east, and Palla Khola, a tributary of Relli, to the south; to the west lies Saihur Forest. The region has a temperate, monsoon-influenced subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cwb). The natural vegetation of the region varies with the altitude, ranging from East Himalayan Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest in the lower altitudes to East Himalayan Sub-tropical Wet Hill Forest in the mid-elevation range (900-1700m) as per Champion and Seth classification (1968). The abundance of larval host plants and nectar plants, both in number and diversity, due to the above mentioned factors, along with the numerous ecological niches provided by the terrain, all contribute to the rich Lepidopteran diversity of this region. Within the campus of the homestay, two moth screens, equipped with 160W Mercury vapour lamps, were erected facing the slopes leading down to the Relli River valley. This was done with the aim of attracting a diverse assemblage of moth species’ dwelling in the different altitudinal ranges, from the top of the ridge, right down to the river bed. On the first night (26-27th July), observation started from 7PM and continued till 12AM, when power supply was interrupted by heavy rainfall. On the second night (27-28th July), due to torrential rainfall and technical issues related to power supply, the Mercury vapour lamps could not be operated until 10PM. During that period, a third screen was erected which used an ordinary LED bulb. Observation at the two MV lamp screens started from 10PM and continued till 5AM in the following morning. Daytime observations of moth larvae and diurnal moths were also done in and around the village, including the homestay campus, using opportunistic sampling. All the listed moths were observed, photographed and field notes were taken. Photographs were uploaded to a citizen science portal, iNaturalist, and the HNAF 4th Annual Moth Watching Camp 2024 ‘project’ hosted therein. Identification of the moths were done to the extent possible, on field and with the help of photos, field guides, citizen science forums and internet resources like the Moths of India website. Other fauna at and around the moth screens, and during daytime surveys, were also recorded and identified similarly. Along with observational activities, HNAF also organised educational sessions in the afternoons, involving presentations given by the resource persons, Mr. Judhajit Dasgupta and Dr. Tusar Kanti Ghosal. This was followed by an interactive session with the participants. Another session was conducted for the local students from Takna and surrounding villages at the premises of Kamjer-Gumba Primary School, to spread awareness about moths and their conservation. This was made possible with the help of the homestay owner, Mrs. Rebecca Rai.Additional DescriptionBy examining photographs and notes taken during just two light trapping sessions, we could identify a total of 447 species' under 31 families of moths. Many of the listed species could not be identified up to the species level and some could only be identified up to the family or subfamily level. Among the moths observed, maximum number of species were Erebidae (108 species), followed by Geometridae (91 species), Crambidae (86 species), Sphingidae (23 species), Noctuidae (20 species, though many species could not be identified from the photographs), and Nolidae (19 species). Hawk moths (Sphingidae) are usually considered exciting finds due to their large size and relative scarcity, and on the intervening night between 27th and 28th July, they dominated the ‘moth-scape’, with as many as 16 different species' of hawk moths encountered at the screen. On the first night as well, 12 hawk moth species were observed, which is also higher than the usual species encounter rate of Sphingidae. Similarly, a large number of Geometrids, including the ‘Emeralds’ were observed. These, along with a myriad of ‘Micro-lepidoptera’ indicate healthy, pristine forests in the surrounding areas of Takna, which need safeguarding for the future, lest they may fall to anthropogenic means. All the participants actively enjoyed the moth watching sessions throughout the hours of operation from evening till dawn, even braving the heavy rainfall that threatened to end the sessions altogether. Many of them have started moth watching in their backyards, rearing larvae and also sharing their observations with the experts for identification. The local students from the village were also inspired by the sessions, and some of them have begun documenting moths with the help of mobile phones. In India, nature camps dedicated solely to moths are hard to come by, and HNAF is the only NGO which has been successfully conducting moth-watching camps in West Bengal since 2022. Participants were overwhelmed by the sheer number and diversity of moths at the screens and look forward to continuing in the quest for documenting the rich moth fauna of North Bengal forests. Despite being home to an estimated 10,000 moth species or more, moth taxonomy and distribution in India remains relatively poorly studied, compared to other ‘popular’ taxa. Events like ours help in spreading awareness about moths, promoting citizen science as well as in gathering primary biodiversity data. While it may not seem much by itself, when repeated consistently over a longer period of time, we hope such data will enable us in understanding trends in the moth population of the region, the impact of increasing human activities in the Himalayan region, and ultimately pave the way for their conservation.