Tuesday, January 10th
In person meeting
Virtual Zoom Option
7:30 PM EST
Names, Concepts, Codes and the Diversity of Neotropical Butterflies
ABSTRACT: Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) are often regarded as one of the best taxonomically studied groups of insects. However, our understanding of their species richness may prove to be startlingly below common expectation and a disturbingly high number of unresolved nomenclatural issues surrounding names exists, especially in the Neotropical region. With over 30,000 names published for the purposes of zoological nomenclature, tracing the sources of Neotropical butterfly names and resolving their correct applications can potentially result in contention or confusion. Furthermore, in a rapidly changing world, the basis of understanding species diversity is facing many challenges. In this talk, I will explore the proverbial tip of the iceberg regarding Neotropical butterfly diversity, ranging from some of the rarest butterflies to common and widespread species in this region, and take this opportunity to reconfirm the importance of stable nomenclature as a progress towards understanding organisms which we share this plant with.
NOTICE: Welcome back to CEC meetings of the 2022-2023 academic year! We will be holding hybrid meetings to accommodate COVID-19 precautions and audience members from around the world.
For those able to attend in person, we will have an informal dinner at 6:00 pm at Cambridge Common Restaurant with the speaker, followed by our formal meeting (7:30 – 9:00 pm) in the Gilbert Room of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (there will be signs to help direct). The meeting will begin with club announcements, followed by a 60-minute presentation by the invited speaker and Q&A. Membership is open to amateur and professional entomologists.
