@article {22873, title = {Lepidoptera collecting in Malaysia: the Genting Tea Estate experience}, journal = {Malayan Nature Journal, Special Edition}, year = {2021}, pages = {1-20}, chapter = {1}, abstract = {

\"While the butterflies (Rhopalocera) of the Malay Peninsula and Singapore and, to a lesser extent, those of Sabah and Sarawak have been extensively collated and catalogued over the last 150 years, the same cannot be said for the moths (Heterocera). In the case of the moths, most of the collecting work has been undertaken in Sabah and Sarawak. In the Peninsula, the collections at the Department of Agriculture and Forest Research Institute over the course of the years have accumulated a large number of specimens. Comparatively little recent sustained collecting has been undertaken with the exception of the Genting Tea Estate, Pahang (GTE) collection made over the last 50 years.\"

}, keywords = {BAUHINIA, BORNEO, COLLECTIONS, DATABASE, DIGITIZATION, FABACEAE, HELIXANTHERA, LORANTHACEAE, MALAYSIA, NECTAR SOURCES, RHAGASTIS, WORLDMAP1}, author = {Badruddin, S. and Barlow, H.S.} } @article {22427, title = {The wild silkmoths (Lepidoptera: Bombycoidea: Saturniidae) of Colombia: a database of occurrence points and taxonomic checklist}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {5081}, year = {2021}, month = {12/2021}, pages = {151{\textendash}202}, chapter = {151}, abstract = {

\"Based on the review of literature and biological collections, information retrieved from public online databases, and from fieldwork conducted between 2015 and 2020, we provide more than 3500 occurrence records and an updated checklist of Colombian Saturniidae, annotated with distribution data for all species. In the first checklist of Colombian saturniids published two decades ago, a total of 184 species were cited; in the current update the number has risen to 653 species/subspecies classified in 55 genera, representing all six recognized Neotropical subfamilies. The Andean and Pacific regions are the richest, accounting for about three quarters of all species listed herein. We call attention to the fact that for most speciose saturniid genera in the Neotropics, there remains a significant need for further taxonomic and systematic research with objective and integrative approaches. Likewise, it is necessary to continue the study of Saturniidae moths in Colombia, strategically increasing the sampling efforts in specific under-sampled natural regions to further document the diversity of this family in the country.\"

}, keywords = {CHECKLIST, COLOMBIA, DATABASE, DISTRIBUTION, SATURNIIDAE}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.5081.2.1}, url = {https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5081.2.1}, author = {Jim{\'e}nez-Boliv{\'a}r, A.C. and Prada-Lara, L. and St Laurent, R.A. and Rougerie, R.} } @article {22404, title = {Geographical and temporal distribution of hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) species in Africa}, journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal}, volume = {9}, year = {2021}, month = {11/2021}, pages = {e70912}, chapter = {e70912}, abstract = {

\"Background


Hawkmoths consist of species where most adults are nocturnal, but there are some dayflying genera. Hawkmoth species have a wide variety of life-history traits, comprising species with adults (mostly nectarivorous though with some exceptions, honey-feeding), but there are also species that do not feed at all. The nectarivorous species are an important component of tropical ecosystems, with significant roles as major pollinators of both crops and wild flora with the pollination done by the adult stage. Pollinators are in decline world-wide and there is need for baseline data to provide information about their conservation strategies. Species occurrence data from Museum collections have been shown to be of great value as a tool for prioritising conservation actions in Africa. The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) have a large and active entomology collection that is in continuous growth. The NMK\’s collection of hawkmoths had not been digitised prior to 2017. This moth family Sphingidae includes about 1,602 species and 205 genera worldwide (Kitching et al. 2018) with the majority of these species occurring in Africa. These moth species can also be used as indicators in biodiversity assessments as they can be easily sampled and identified. However, hawkmoths have rarely been surveyed over the long term for this purpose. Long-term datasets are of unquestionable significance for understanding and monitoring temporal changes in biodiversity. These hawkmoth data have addressed one of the most significant challenges to insect conservation, the lack of baseline information concerning species diversity and distribution and have provided key historic hawkmoth species diversity and distribution data that can be used to monitor their populations in the face of climate change and other environmental degradation issues that are facing the world today. The publication of the hawkmoth species occurrence data records in GBIF has enhanced data visibility to a wider audience promoting availability for use.

New information

The hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) collection at the National Museums of Kenya was digitised from 2017 \– 2020 and this paper presents details of species occurrence records as in the insect collection at the NMK, Nairobi, Kenya.


The collection holds 5,095 voucher specimens consisting of 88 genera and 208 species. The collection covers the period between 1904 and 2020.


The geographical distribution of the hawkmoths housed at the NMK covers East Africa at 81.41\%, West Africa at 7.20\%, Southern Africa at 6.89\%, Central Africa at 4.02\% and North Africa at 0.2\%.\"

}, keywords = {AFRICA, BIODIVERSITY, DATABASE, FLIGHT PERIOD, KENYA, MUSEUM, SAMPLING, SPHINGIDAE}, doi = {10.3897/BDJ.9.e70912}, url = {https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.9.e70912}, author = {Kioko, E. and Musyoki, A.M. and Luanga, A.E. and Kioko, M.W. and Mwangi, E.W. and Monda, L.} }