Tropical Andean butterfly diversity project

A large-scale project on the tropical Andean butterfly diversity is under way. It is an international collaboration among scientists, institutions and organisations involved in research on the butterflies of the tropical Andean region.

The project goals are to establish a foundation for future research on butterflies in the region. The tropical Andean region for the purpose of this project is defined by the national borders of the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. This 3 year project focuses on ‘true’ butterflies, Papilionoidea, and will comprehensively cover the families Papilionidae, Pieridae and Nymphalidae (ca. 2000 species). Additional groups (Hesperioidea, Lycaenidae, Riodinidae) will be selectively covered.

The objectives are: (1) To provide and improve resources for research on tropical Andean butterflies, including specimen collections, publications, databases and image archives; (2) Increase the number of workers by encouraging students to conduct research on tropical Andean butterflies; (3) Raise the profile of butterflies and establish a future strategy for research and conservation in the region.

The project is funded by the United Kingdom’s Darwin Initiative.

Related: Tropical Andean Butterfly Diversity Project