ARS | Publication request: A provisional annotated list of the Lepidoptera of Honduras

Submitted to: Insecta Mundi
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 1, 2012
Publication Date: February 29, 2012
Citation: Miller, J.Y., Matthews, D.L., Warren, A.D., Solis, M.A., Harvey, D.J., Gentili-Poole, P., Emmel, T.C., Covell, Jr., C.V. 2012. A provisional annotated list of the Lepidoptera of Honduras. Insecta Mundi. 0205:1-72.

Interpretive Summary: Snout moth caterpillars are agricultural pests that cause billions of dollars of damage annually to crops and stored products, but many are also beneficial components of forest ecosystems including aquatic habitats. This paper is the first attempt to document the species of moths and butterflies of Pico Bonito National Park in Honduras. This paper will establish an important base-line inventory that will enable National Park staff to make informed decisions on land and resource management within the park and provide information on the distribution of snout moth pests for use by quarantine personnel. This paper will be useful to systematists, ecologists, biodiversity researchers, action agency identifiers, and regulatory personnel at U.S. ports.

Technical Abstract: A biodiversity inventory of the Lepidoptera of Pico Bonito National Park and vicinity, in the Department of Atlantida of northern Honduras, has been initiated and will be conducted to obtain baseline data. We present a revised checklist of Honduran butterfly species (updated from the initial 1967 list), as well as the first comprehensive list of Honduran moths. We report new records for butterflies and moths for Honduras. Our provisional list includes species of Papilionoidea, Hesperoidea, and moth species.