Avishek Talukdar is an environmental Researcher specializing in insect diversity, pollination ecology and environmental pollution studies. Born on 14 August, 1994 in Kolkata his research primarily investigates the diversity, taxonomy and ecological roles of lepidopteran insects, particularly Pyraloidea moths in Himalayan ecosystems.

After completing his schooling in 2012, he completed his B.Sc and M.Sc degrees in Environmental Science from University of Calcutta in 2017, both with first class. His master’s dissertation investigated butterfly diversity and richness patterns in the Chintamani kar Bird Sanctuary, where he developed strong field skills in insect identification and ecological survey techniques. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D degree from the Department of Zoology at the University of Calcutta. His doctoral study examines the altitudinal diversity patterns of Pyraloidea moths and their role as potential pollinators in the Eastern Himalaya, with a particular focus on Arunachal Pradesh. His work aims to improve understanding of moth-plant interactions and the ecological significance of nocturnal pollinators and their altitudinal distribution patterns in mountainous ecosystems of Eastern Himalayas.

Between 2019 and 2023, he worked at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata, first as a Junior Research Fellow and later as a Senior Research Fellow. During his tenure at ZSI, he gained extensive experience in surveying, collecting, handling, preserving and identifying Lepidopteran specimens, particularly moths belonging to superfamily Pyraloidea. He also contributed to research exploring the potential role of moths as pollinators and their importance in Himalayan ecosystem.

Till date he has authored 15 research papers both in national and international journals and contributed to several book chapters. His publications cover a range of topics including Lepidoptera diversity, moth-plant pollen transportation networks, microplastic pollution, environmental remediation and sustainability. His works has appeared in journals like Science of the Total Environment, Journal of Natural History and Groundwater for Sustainable Development.

He has presented his research at multiple national and international conferences, presenting both oral and poster papers on varied topics such as moth diversity, pollen transportation network and microplastic pollution. Apart from his research work, he also serves as reviewer for several international scientific journals in the fields of environmental science, entomology and ecology. His research interests include insect biodiversity, pollination networks, Himalayan ecology, environmental pollution and sustainable environmental management.

Additionally, he takes keen interest in photography and has received recognition from We Grow Forest Foundation.

• Biodiversity and Conservation
• Ecology
• Agricultural Entomology
• Pollination Biology
• Environmental Pollution
• Microplastic Pollution and Environmental Toxicology

• Singh, N., Ranjan, R., Talukdar, A., Joshi, R., Kirti, J.S., Chandra, K. and Mally, R., 2022. A catalogue of Indian Pyraloidea (Lepidoptera). Zootaxa, 5197(1), 1–423. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5197.1.1
• Talukdar, A., Bhattacharya, S., Bandyopadhyay, A. and Dey, A., 2023. Microplastic pollution in the Himalayas: Occurrence, distribution, accumulation and environmental impacts. Science of the Total Environment, 874, p.162495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162495
• Chowdhury, S. and Talukdar, A., 2023. Further additions to the list of light attracted butterflies from India. Species, 2023, 24(73), e19s1019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e19s1019
• Lenka, R., Mitra, D., Chatterjee, P., Talukdar, A., and Singh, N., 2023. Investigating the pollen transport network between moths (Lepidoptera) and the economically importantplants in central and eastern Himalaya. Rec. zool. Surv. India, 123(iS2), p01-15, DOI: 10.26515/rzsi/v123/i1S/2023/172458
• Bhattacharya, S., Talukdar, A., Sengupta, S., Das, T., Dey, A., Gupta, K. and Dutta, N., 2023. Arsenic contaminated water remediation: A state-of-the-art review in synchrony with sustainable development goals. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 23, p.101000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2023.101000.
• Talukdar, A., Kundu, P., Bhattacharjee, S., Dey, S., Dey, A., Biswas, J.K., Chaudhuri, P. and Bhattacharya, S., 2023. Microplastics in mangroves with special reference to Asia: Occurrence, distribution, bioaccumulation and remediation options. Science of The Total Environment, 904, p.166165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166165
• Talukdar, A. and Chowdhury, S., 2023. Uncommon Reproductive Interference Behaviour in Two Lycaenid Butterflies, Prosotas dubiosa (Semper) and Castalius rosimon (Fabricius) From West Bengal, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (JBNHS), 120(2). https://doi.org/10.17087/jbnhs/2023/v120/168567
• Talukdar, A., Kundu, P., Bhattacharya, S. and Dutta, N., 2024. Microplastic contamination in wastewater: Sources, distribution, detection and remediation through physical and chemical-biological methods. Science of The Total Environment, 916, p.170254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170254
• Talukdar, A. and Chowdhury, S., 2024. First Global Report on Mud-puddling by Pyraloidea from India (Insecta: Lepidoptera). SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología, 52(206), pp.349-354. DOI: https://doi.org/10.57065/shilap.914
• Talukdar, A., Bhattacharya, S., Pal, S., Pal, P. and Chowdhury, S., 2024. Positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 on the environment: A critical review with sustainability approaches. Hygiene and Environmental Health Advances, 12, p.100107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heha.2024.100107
• Talukdar, A., Banerjee, A., Dey, S. and Bhattacharya, S., 2024. The good, the bad and the ugly: Critical insights on the applications of microbes in microplastic degradation. Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, 2, e27, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1017/plc.2024.26
• Dey, S., Talukdar, A. and Bhattacharya, S., 2025. Microbial degradation and valorization of food wastes: waste to wealth approaches towards sustainability. Discover Chemistry, 2(1), pp.1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44371-025-00217-9
• Chakraborty, S., Talukdar, A., Dey, S. and Bhattacharya, S., 2025. Role of fungi, bacteria and microalgae in bioremediation of emerging pollutants with special reference to pesticides, heavy metals and pharmaceuticals. Discover Environment, 3(1), p.91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44274-025-00217-7
• Isingoma, C.L., Talukdar, A., Chakraborty, S. and Bhattacharya, S., 2025. Bioremediation of Fluoride: Potential of Bacteria, Plants, and Plant-Microbe Interactions in Fluoride Removal from the Environment. Geomicrobiology Journal, 42(9), 818–838. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2025.2526602.
• Talukdar, A. and Singh, N. 2026. Not just pests: unraveling the hidden role of Pyralidae and Crambidae (Pyraloidea: Lepidoptera) moths as pollen transporters in the Eastern Himalayan ecosystem. Journal of Natural History, 60:9-12, 657-675, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2026.2623023

• Singh, N., Kaur, A., Pathania, P.C., Kalawate, A., Palot, J., Banerjee, D., Talukdar, A., Lenka, R., Kumari, A., Raha, A. & Joshi, R. (2023). Fauna of India Comments on the checklist: E-mail your comments and suggestions to improve the checklist to zsifaunachecklists@gmail.com and nsgill007@gmail.com Checklist: Arthropoda: Insecta: Lepidoptera. Version 1.0. Zoological Survey India. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26515/Fauna/1/2023/Arthropoda:Insecta:Lepidoptera
• Wangmo, S., Talukdar, A., Dutta, N., Nabumpenje, A., Bastola, J.K. &Sayan Bhattacharya, S. (2024). Biosensors in heavy metal and metalloid detection: Genetic, cellular, and nanomaterial applications. In Shah, M.P. (Ed.) Development in wastewater treatment research and processes: Applied technologies for clean up of environmental contaminants. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Pp. 756-771. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-13615-3.00015-7
• Gurung, B.S., Kumar, P., Talukdar, A., Dey, S., Bhattacharya, S. (2026). Phytoremediation Potentials of Aquatic Plants at Ramsar Sites. In: Dey, S., Shah, M.P. (eds) Microbial Applications in Industrial Wastewater Treatment. Advances in Wastewater Research. Springer, Singapore. pp.347-360. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-9128-9_15

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4808-2901
• https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57953865900
• https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/ABX-0092-2022