2001 No. 2 June
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LEPIDOPTERA NEWS June 2001 No.2 Presidential Address TROPICAL BUTTERFLIES: A KEY MODEL GROUP THAT CAN BE "COMPLETED" Paul R. Ehrlich Bing Professor of Population Studies Stanford University, Stanford, California It has long been clear that much of biodiversity will go extinct It is now too late to "complete" today's crude fragmentary before it can be described and its most basic biological characteristics systematic/genetic/ecologica1/behavioral overview of the vast panoply recorded. Many, if not most species of eucaryotic organisms will of biological diversity, but it is not too late to develop a substantially vanish before they can even be given a latinized names (Myers, more detailed picture and useful understanding of a limited number 1979; Wilson, 1992), a process which by itself provides little of of model groups - comprehensive pictures of their diversity, scientific value. With the exception of a very few of those species taxonomy, distribution, behavior and ecological relationships. Such that have been described, the distribution of populations has not even a picture that could provide a framework of understanding for been preliminarily mapped, a process necessary to track the thou population biologists in a century or so when much of today's sands of population losses that, while many thousands of the billions biodiversity will be the subject of study of paleontologists. Think of of these critical units disappear, occur daily under human onslaught how informative it would be if we had available such comprehensive (Hughes et ai., 1997). And, the vast majority of species clearly will contemporaneous studies of Cretaceous dinosaurs, birds, and plants, either be exterminated or will evolve into entirely different entities or of the primates of 6-8 million years ago (when the common before we gain even the sort of very partial understanding that of ancestors of chimps and people were alive). Groups that might be them as we now have for intensively studied selected organisms such chosen for "completion" today include most vertebrates, vascular as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (e.g., de Bono and Barg plants, and, of course, true butterflies (Papilionoidea). The Papilion mann, 1998; Sternberg, 1990; Wood, 1988), fruit flies (Drosophila oidea are the most obvious taxon of the invertebrates to select as a spp.) (e.g., Dobzhansky, 1947; Konopka and Benzer, 1971; Morgan, model group for detailed taxonomic, ecological (including ecophysio 1911; Schaeffer and Miller, 1993), checkerspots (Euphydryas editha logical), evolutionary and behavioral study. Other relatively well-un and Melitaea cinxia) (e.g., Ehrlich, 1961; Ehrlich et ai., 1975; Gilbert derstood arthropod groups that might be chosen to serve as models and Singer, 1973; Hanski et al., 1994; Hanski, 1995; Harrison et al., include ants (Beattie, 1985; Gordon, 1999; Holldobler and Wilson, .: 1988; Zimmermann et ai., 2000), Bicyclus butterflies (Brakefield et 1990), because of their incredible importance in ecosystem function ::ai., 1998; Wijngaarden, 2000), white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia ing, especially in the tropics; bees, because of their key roles in :;Leucophrys) (Baptista, 1975; Baptista and Petrinovich, 1986) or pollination (Michener, 1974; Michener, 2000); mosquitoes and ticks, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) (Ehrlich, 2000; Goodall, 1986; because of their public health significance; and tiger beetles, which Goodall et ai., 1979). In the face of this biological holocaust, what have many attributes that would make them good indicators of the scientific community primarily concerned with biodiversity biodiversity (Pearson and Cassola, 1992). should have been doing has also long been clear - population But in the face of the disappearance of much of what they study, biologists (especially taxonomists and ecologists) should have been professional taxonomists and ecologists are not switching in large emulating the success of geneticists by concentrating their efforts on numbers to contribute to helping the development of model systems. carefully chosen model systems (Ehrlich, 1997). They need to choose One does not need to search far for the reasons scientists are slow to a sample of taxonomic groups to be the biodiversity equivalents of join this important effort. First among those reasons is the training the gut bacteria (Escherichia), fruit flies (Drosophila spp.), and of how professional taxonomists and ecologists are educated, which laboratory mice (Mus musculus), used by geneticists from which needs to be overhauled. Taxonomic training too often produces other biologists induce generalities about other organisms or life in workers who are taxon-bound, many of whom persist in doing alpha general. Instead, taxonomists and ecologists have historically largely (species description) and beta (simple classificatory revisions) taken a non-scientific "shotgun" approach to nature, and have paid a taxonomic studies of little-known groups in which they happen to be high price in lack of progress (and of prestige within the scientific interested (or were introduced to by their major professors). Many community) for their folly. [cont. on p. 10] TO OUR READERS We have all 8 issues of our color journals in final production, those LEPIDOPTERA for 2000 and 2001, so these will be issued and bring us up-to-date. However, the Annual Report for 2000 clearly shows that the membership has nearly 500 members who appear to be apathetic to NEWS our color journals in terms of dues payments: you may not see ANY MORE ISSUES after another year if more of you do not send in past Editor: J. B. Heppner dues. There also are a number of members who have not paid page Assoc. Editor: Thomas C. Emmel charges due the society. We have had to resort now to removal of Published by the papers from a journal issue if payment or an official purchase order Association for Tropical Lepidoptera, Inc. is not returned, prior to printing, along with the page proofs. We P. O. Box 141210 have already reduced our page count for the color journals to Gainesville, FL 32614-1210, USA minimal size and made other economies, but if the membership does Tel: (352) 392-5894 FAX: (352) 392-0479 www.troplep.org not want the color journals anymore, then there appears to be no Frequency: Quarterly (March, June, September, December) clearer documentation of this than the 494 members in arrears for e-mail: [email protected]: 1062-6581 their dues payments. It is up to you. Send your dues in and keep The Association for Tropical Lepidoptera, Inc., is a non-profit corporation your journal issues corning. for the study and conservation of tropical and subtropical Lepidoptera of As to the current issue of Lepidoptera News, we have a guest essay the world. Contributions are tax-deductible. Advertising is accepted. by our 2000 President, Dr. Paul R. Ehrlich, famous for his research ASSOCIATION FOR on butterfly ecology and for his long-term writings on the problems of world over-population and conservation issues. He presents some TROPICAL LEPIDOPTERA interesting arguments in terms of biodiversity studies of butterflies, BOARD OF DIRECTORS although I believe that he dismisses the moths too much (How can Vitor O. Becker (Brazil) Gerardo Lamas (Peru) we know the butterflies if we do not study their evolutionary Don R. Davis (USA) Olaf H. H. Mielke (Brazil) forebears, the moths, where over 90% of Lepidoptera biodiversity is Boyce A. Drummond, III (USA) Eugene G. Munroe (Canada) found?), but clearly butterflies are the mainstay of what the general Peter J. Eliazar (USA) Jon D. Turner (USA) public knows when they think about Lepidoptera. Whether you work Thomas C. Emmel (USA) on moths or butterflies, your personal contribution along the lines Chairman and Executive Director: J. B. Heppner that Dr. Ehrlich suggests will be a great legacy to future generations ADVISORY COUNCIL who will marvel at the diversity we had the privilege of studying in Andres O. Angulo (Chile) Jean-Francois Landry (Canada) 2001. Yutaka Arita (Japan) Torben B. Larsen (England) George T. Austin (USA) Claude Lemaire (France) J. B. HEPPNER Manuel A. Balcazar L. (Mexico) Jorge Llorente B. (Mexico) Executive Director Henry S. Barlow (Malaysia) Martin Lodl (Austria) Dubi Benyamini (Israel) Wolfram Mey (Germany) NOTES Ronald Boender (USA) Kauri Mikkola (Finland) I. 2002 Annual Meeting: April 6-8 in Gainesville. Keith S. Brown Jr. (Brazil) Scott E. Miller (USA) 2. 2002 Annual Photo Contest: deadline is March 15, 2002. Note that the Jose A. Clavijo A. (Venezuela) Joel Minet (France) prize awards now include only a Grand Prize winner (award may be cash or Charles V. Covell Jr. (USA) W. M. Neukirchen (Germany) a book). We only had 12 photos entered for 2001, so could not have any U. Dall'Asta (Belgium) K. T. Park (South Korea) photo contest with such a small number: if there is no interest in a photo Philip J. DeVries (USA) Rod E. Parrott (Canada) contest then none can be had. It is up to you - lets make 2002 better. Edward W. Diehl (Indonesia) Amnuay Pinratana (Thailand) 3. Cover Photos: members can note that color photos for journal covers are Julian P. Don~llUe (USA) Dalibor Povolny (Czech Rep.) Ulf Eitschberger (Germany) Jozef Razowski (Poland) always sought. ATL does not pay photo fees, but you do have the gratifica Eric Garraway (Jamaica) M. Alma Solis (USA) tion of having your photo selected for one of the front or back covers. Photos Dale H. Habeck (USA) Dieter Stiining (Germany) should be exceptionally sharp and in our page proportion. Christoph Hauser (Germany) Gerhard Tarmann (Austria) 4. ATL Debentures: a number of ATL members have already taken Lowell N. Harris (USA) Paul Thiaucourt (France) advantage of our interest rates and invested in ATL debentures. Please let us Hiroshi Inoue (Japan) Jiirgen H. R. Thiele (Germany) know what you can do to help! Returns of principal (at end of period) and Daniel H. Janzen (USA) Antonio Vives M. (Spain) interest (paid annually) are guaranteed. Kurt Johnson (USA) Andras Vojnits (Hungary) 5.