University of Liverpool researchers studying the Squinting Bush Brown discovered a novel genetic pathway for how butterfly embryos become male or female [photo credit: University of Liverpool] A news release below from our colleagues in the University of Liverpool news office: In a study of a species of African butterfly, researchers have discovered a previously undescribed molecular mechanism of how the sex of an embryo is initially specified. Across species, a molecular switch is required to initiate development of a newly formed embryo into a female or a male. The genetic identity of this m ..read more

I can’t pretend any artistic expertise, entomological or otherwise. But one can always hope, if there’s a good guide to help me figure out how. Check out this new release from Timber Press. The Insect Artist: How to Observe, Draw, and Paint Butterflies, Bees, and More by Zebith S. Thalden, $27.99 ..read more

Entomological equipment in the 18th Century from Elementa Entomologia (1766) by Jacob Christian Schaeffer (1718-1790). Courtesy Simon Leather’s blog, Don’t Forget the Roundabouts. With the demise of BioQuip in 2022, the lep community — and ecologists in general — lost one of the best stocked and most dependable suppliers of field and collection tools and resources available. A number of new and established vendors have stepped in to fill this void, and Caitlan LaBar has thoughtfully updated her list of entomology equipment suppliers on the Northwest Butterflies blog. And just in ..read more

Heliconius melpomene plessini [photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons] The lep community has known for quite some time that moths are capable of detecting and taking evasive action when they hear the vocalizations of predators, especially bats. And while scientists have found auditory sensing organs on some butterflies as well, if and how they use these has not been as extensively studied. Researchers from the University of Arkansas and their colleagues, however, have discovered that males of the Postman butterfly, Heliconius melpomene, detect and take evasive action when the calls of one of their r ..read more

Cairns Birdwing Butterfly, Ornithoptera priamus euphorion, Queensland, Australia [From the Associated Press 2024 Feb. 28] A Long Island man has pleaded guilty to illegally trafficking birdwing butterflies and other rare insects, according to a plea deal filed in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday. Charles Limmer, 75, of Commack, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to smuggle wildlife into the country and agreed to pay a $30,215 penalty as well as hand over his collection of roughly 1,000 butterflies, moths and other insects. He faces up to 5 years in prison when sentenced. Some of the dried s ..read more

Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah) 2022 annual butterfly count [photo credit National Park Service] If you haven’t yet figured out a good reason to participate in our spring and summer North American Butterfly Association (NABA) butterfly counts, here’s one: It’s good for you. A team of scientists from the University of Derby in the UK says that it’s been long established that citizen science activities like butterfly counts improve “nature connectedness,” behaviors and values that support biodiversity awareness and conservation. But, they wondered: What’s in it for the counters? The researche ..read more

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is currently recruiting for a Senior Natural Resources Technician I (seasonal contractual position) to survey for rare insects in MD. Although much of this position will entail survey and identification work, duties will also include data entry, GIS mapping, and creating or revising conservation recommendations. This position will be based out of Tawes State Office Building in Annapolis, MD but will require traveling all across the state. See the full position description at https://www.jobapscloud.com/MD/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1=24&R2=002293 ..read more

For anyone exploring the butterflies of the Caribbean, Malcolm Barcant’s 1970 “Butterflies of Trinidad and Tobago” still occupies a favored spot on the bookshelf. As Barcant was fond of saying, for its size Trinidad (not so much Tobago) is one of the most butterfly-rich places on the planet. Between the two small islands, they host some 750 butterfly species. A chartered accountant by trade, collecting and identifying neotropical butterflies was Barcant’s real vocation. By the time he decided to emigrate to the US (Florida) in 1976, he had amassed an enviable collection of butterflies from Tr ..read more

Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina, female with three hindwing spots [photo courtesy Richard ffrench-Constant via EurekAlert] Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina, is one of the classic butterflies of the Palearctic. It’s long been studied as a model for how genetics affects phenology, in this case, the variation in the number of spots on the ventral hindwing, which can range from none to six per wing. Historically (beginning with the seminal research of EB Ford in the 1940s that heralded the beginning of the “new systematics”), this variation has been regarded as a reflection of genetic polymorphism. Mor ..read more

The once abundant Rocky Mountain Locust, Melanoplus spretus, is now presumed extinct. Watercolour & ink on paper, 1884 by Georgiana E Ormerod (1823-1896). While the prevailing narrative around loss of insect biodiversity is that rare or uncommon species are driving these declines, in fact it’s common to abundant insects that account for the lion’s share of the declines, according to a new paper published this week in Nature.  After analyzing a number of long-term insect diversity studies, the authors conclude that species that were most abundant at the start of a given time series showed ..read more