Global Lepidoptera Index: Progress and issues with developing a comprehensive global checklist of moths and butterflies

Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) form one of the four largest animal orders, with published estimates that around 174,250 species had been described up to 2009 (Chapman 2009). Many are conspicuous, charismatic regularly recorded by citizen scientists. As a result, iNaturalist contains more than 15 million observations (10.5% all observations), Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) includes 83 occurrence records for group from sources (3.5% biodiversity data 9.8% non-bird data). A modern comprehensive checklist global moths butterflies would therefore play significant role in improving our ability interpret patterns change. However, there is still no dataset adequately covers order, good accessible digital checklists exist minority families. The Names Index (LepIndex) has served as primary used Catalogue Life (COL), other informatics initiatives, selected families sourced well-curated projects. LepIndex digitised version card index developed maintained over decades at Natural History Museum, London. Its intended purpose was link names original literature references. most prior 1985 (with some geographical bias) additions groups 1995. Since purely nomenclatural resource, effort made track changes generic placement generally reflect taxonomic opinion time when each added. binomial combinations do not necessarily either author's or contemporary classification. In superfamilies such Gelechioidea Noctuoidea, which have undergone reorganisation light findings, many associated even currently recognised family species. migrated TaxonWorks now (GLI), but addressing shortfall nearly 40 years active taxonomy fixing legacy issues remains major challenge. COL recently worked several taxonomists develop families, can only practically be improved through edits GLI. This presentation will summarise progress metrics indicating scale remaining task required maintain rapidly accurates reflects new findings.