Biogeographical patterns of the neotropical genus Battus Scopoli 1777 (Lepidoptera Papilionidae)

A phylogenetic approach to the groups of species of the neotropical Troidines currently included in the genus Battus Scopoli 1777 has been conducted. In the light of historical and ecological processes of evolution in the neotropical biota, the cladogram of Battiti is discussed. General vicariance patterns, as well as dispersal events which contributed to the present distribution of the taxa, are suggested to have operated at different spatial and temporal points

How do farmers research and learn? The example of organic farmers’ experiments and innovations: A research concept

Experimenting, adapting and innovating are central features of farmers’ activities all over the world. Farmers hold valuable knowledge about their environment, they actively do experiments, and have their own research traditions. The development of organic farming systems is continually evolving through the experiments and innovations of organic farmers. So far, there has been little attempt to study the nature, characteristics, and factors associated with the experimental processes of farmers in a systematic, comprehensive way. A current research project investigates learning processes of organic farmers in Austria, Cuba and Israel through researching the multifaceted experiments they conduct and the innovations they obtain as possible results. This paper presents the research concept of the project

Scepticism and Anti-Scepticism in Medieval Jewish Philosophy and Thought

The tension between reason and revelation has occupied Jewish philosophers for centuries, who, on the one hand, were committed to defending Judaism and on the other hand to remaining loyal to philosophical principles. The present publication focuses on sceptical questions, methods, strategies, and approaches raised by Jewish thinkers in the Middle Ages

NOTEWORTHY RECORDS OF SATURNIIDS FROM NORTHERN MYANMAR WITH NOTES ON THE TRUE IDENTITY OF LOEPA DIVERSIOCELLATA (LEPIDOPTERA, SATURNIIDAE)

Records for fifteen Saturniid taxa from northen Myanmar, Kachin state, are given. Those for Salassa katschinica Bryk, 1944, Cricula zubsiana Nässig, 1985, Actias winbrechlini Brechlin, 2007 and Loepa diversiocellata Bryk, 1944 are notheworthy records. Indeed, Cricula zubsiana is reported for the first time for this country. Salassa katschinica was apparently known only on the typical series. New records for the recent described Actias winbrechlini are reported. The true identity of Loepa diversiocellata is briefly discussed on the basis of comparisons of the holotype with recently collected specimens

NOTES ON SOME SATURNIIDS FROM THE PROVINCE OF MISIONES, ARGENTINA, INCLUDING SEVERAL NEW RECORDS FOR THIS COUNTRY (LEPIDOPTERA, SATURNIIDAE)

Distributional records for some Saturniid taxa from the province of Misiones, NE Argentina, are given. The following species are reported for the first time for Argentina: Arsenura orbignyana (Guérin-Méneville, [1844]), Dysdaemonia brasiliensis Rothschild, 1907, Adeloneivaia s. subangulata (Herrich-Schäffer, 1855), Adeloneivaia cathari­na (Bouvier, 1927), Adeloneivaia fallax (Boisduval, 1872), Adelowalkeria tristygma (Boisduval, 1872), Scolesa viettei Travassos, 1959, Citioica anthonilis (Herrich-Schäffer, 1854), Oiticella convergens (Herrich-Schäffer, 1855), Ptiloscola cinerea (Schaus, 1900), Lonomia obliqua Walker, 1855, Leucanella memusae gardineri Lemaire, 1973 and Molippa sabina Walker, 1855. Some notes on Automeris illustris and Automeris amoena are given with particular reference to their distribution, variability and identification

NOTES ON THE GENUS LEUCANELLA LEMAIRE, 1969 WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW TAXA (LEPIDOPTERA, SATURNIIDAE)

Two new taxa of the species-group of contempta are described. The description of these new subspecies are based on comparisons with typical and topotypical specimens of contempta. This was due to the possibility that other populations currently assigned to contempta are not really conspecific

A PRELIMINARY ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF THE PAPILIONIDAE OF LAOS WITH NOTES ON TAXONOMY, PHENOLOGY, DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea)

63 Papilionid taxa of Laos are reported representing 60 biological species. Of these, the occurrence of Papilio elephenor is unproven, and that of Papilio krishna is refuted, leaving 58 species confirmed for Laos. Notes on their taxonomy, distribution, phenology and variation are given. The following synonymies or changes of status are herewith listed:Graphium antiphates itamputi is regarded as a separate subspecies from pompilius stat. rev.Papilio tamerlanus timur Ney, 1911 is a synonym of Papilio alebion mullah Alphéraky, 1897, syn. nov. The following combinations are therefore proposed for the collective species: Graphium mullah mullah (Alphéraky, 1897) comb. nov. applies to the Sichuan population; Graphium mullah chungianus (Murayama, 1961) comb. nov., for the Taiwanese subspecies; and Graphium mullah kooichii (Morita, 1996) comb. nov. for the Lao subspecies.The true type of Papilio arycles sphinx Fruhstorfer, 1899 is identified, and arycleoides Fruhstorfer, 1902 placed in synonymy, syn. nov.Teinopalpus imperialis bhumipoli Nakano & Sukkit, 1985, T. i. gerritesi Nakano, 1995, T. i. gillesi Turlin, 1991, and T. i. hakkaorum Schäffler 2004 are shown to be synonyms of Teinopalpus imperialis imperatrix de Nicéville, 1899, syn. nov.Atrophaneura varuna liziensis Zhao, 1997 is synonymized with A. varuna astorion (Westwood, 1842) syn. nov.The names elegans Chou et al., 2000, pulcher Chou et al., 2000 and longimacula Wang & Niu, 2002 are sunk as synonyms of Papilio bianor bianor syn. nov.Papilio bianor significans Fruhstorfer, 1902 is regarded as a valid subspecies (stat. rev.) and the ranges of Papilio bianor gladiator Fruhstorfer, [1902] and ganesa Doubleday, 1842 are clarified.Papilio noblei de Nicéville, [1889] is shown to be monotypic, and haynei Tytler, 1926 is sunk as a synonym syn. nov.Papilio hipponous siamensis Godfrey, 1916 is synonymized with pitmani Elwes & de Nicéville, [1887] syn. nov.The taxon imitata Monastyrskii & Devyatkin, 2003 is considered conspecific with Papilio epycides and therefore the combination is Papilio epycides imitata stat. nov., comb. nov

DISTRIBUTIONAL NOTES OF ARSENURINAE INCLUDING THE FIRST RECORD OF ARSENURA SYLLA NIEPELTI IN ECUADOR (LEPIDOPTERA, SATURNIIDAE)

Some noteworthy records for six species of Arsenurinae in Ecuador are given. Arsenura sylla niepelti (Schüssler, 1936) is reported for the first time for Ecuador while Paradaemonia platydesmia (Rothschild, 1907) is recorded for the first time for western Ecuador

Parsimony analysis of butterflies communities in the Dominican Republic: assessing relationships among butterflies assemblages (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea)

[Español] A raíz de las investigaciones realizadas durante un período de siete años en dos localidades distantes de la República Dominicana, se realizó una hipótesis de relación entre algunas comunidades de mariposas. Se ha compilado una matriz de datos de 132 taxa codificando la presencia / ausencia de taxones en los sitios de muestra y áreas investigadas. La matriz de datos se realizó con un método cladístico y se obtuvo un árbol más parsimonioso. Las relaciones jerárquicas entre las comunidades de mariposas se discutieron a la luz de varias hipótesis.[English] Following researches carried out for a period of seven years on two far-away localities in the Dominican Republic, a hypothesis of relationships among some butterflies communities was made. A data matrix of 132 taxa has been compiled coding the presence / absence of the taxa in the sample sites and areas investigated. The data matrix was run with a cladistic method and a single most parsimonious tree was obtained. The hierarchical relationships among the butterflies communities were discussed in the light of various hypotheses