Tropical Andean Butterfly Diversity Project

Supported by the Darwin Initiative and other sponsors

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Background

Project news

Student courses and grants

Training course in Venezuela 2006 (B.Huertas)

Training course in Colombia 2006 (B.Huertas)

Training course in Bolivia 2006 (A. Valdivia)

Collecting in Esmeraldas forest, Ecuador

Training course in Peru/Ecuador 2006 (C.Castillo)

Student courses and grants for research on Lepidoptera

Training courses

The Tropical Andean Butterfly Diversity Project (TABDP) is offering training courses to those people interested in studying butterflies in each Andean country that is part of the TABD project (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela). In 2006 approximately 100 undergraduate students, graduates and postgraduate students plus other interested people attended the courses, from more than ten nationalities.

Outline

This year, we will offer three different types of 1-week course: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. One course will be conducted in each Andean country.

The contents of each course will vary among countries and details will be available here soon. All courses will include talks on the state of research on butterflies in each country, opportunities and resources. Course attendants will receive copies of teaching materials, which could include lectures, computer programmes and identification guides, depending on the course.

The BASIC COURSE will provide a general introduction to neotropical butterfly research and modern techniques in the study of butterfly biology and diversity. Some of the main topics covered include:
-Introduction to tropical butterfly diversity: morphology, function and ecology of Lepidoptera.
-Principles of systematics: descriptive taxonomy and cladistics.
-History of butterfly classification and systematics.
-Analysing species diversity and distribution (latitude, elevation).
-Collecting methods, preserving and setting butterflies.
-Biogeography, evolution and conservation of Lepidoptera (Papilionoidea).
-Field techniques, inventories.
-Writing scientific papers and grant applications.

The ADVANCED COURSE will provide more experience and training in field work techniques applicable to particular groups only, through a stronger emphasis on practical sessions. Participants will have the chance to discuss potential projects with instructors, and will present a short talk either on their own research or on a planned future study. We welcome former TABDP/2006 students, and those with prior experience in butterfly research, to apply for this course.

We aim to run an INTERMEDIATE COURSE for those countries where there is a strong interest from both early and experienced butterfly students.

Those students who wish to participate in either intermediate or advanced courses must meet the following conditions:

1. Have prior experience with research on butterflies and/or have participated in the TABDP course last year (2006).
2. They should preferably be final year undergraduate students or early graduate students in biological sciences.
3. Participants on the advanced course, and participants on intermediate courses who received grants from the TABDP in 2006, or attended the 2006 TABDP course, will need to prepare a presentation of 15 minutes on one of the following two topics. a). A research project currently in progress, as if presenting a talk at a conference or a scientific paper. If the student was funded by a TABDP grant last year, the presentation should provide an update on progress in that research project; b). A planned research project, such as a thesis project or project for which you will be seeking funding. The presentations will provide an opportunity for evaluation and feedback from course instructors. A guide as to key points to be covered by the presentation and how they will be evaluated will be available very soon.

Dates and Courses

This year's TABD courses will be conducted between September and December 2007 as follows:

ECUADOR: 17-21 September, Podocarpus National Park, Zamora-Chinchipe. Advanced. Deadline for applications: 31 August.
Download provisional course programme. Maximum 15 students. NOTE: all students must give a 10-15 minute presentation as a course requirement, as explained above.

Podocarpus National Park
Rearing larvae of Ithomiinae, Podocarpus National Park

Course programmes for the remaining countries will be available soon, but a general outline of the planned courses is available here:

Basic course
Intermediate course

COLOMBIA: 29 October-3 November, Estación Biológica Yotoco, Cauca. Intermediate. Deadline for applications: 29 September.
Maximum 25 students.

VENEZUELA: 7-11 November, Rancho Grande Biological Station, Aragua. Basic. Deadline for applications: 29 September.
Maximum 25 students.

PERU: 20-25 November, La Jungla, Tarapoto. Intermediate. Deadline for applications: 29 September.
Maximum 25 students.

BOLIVIA: 30 November-5 December, Estación Biológica Asociación comunitaria de Ecoturismo Urpuma, Parque Nacional y Área Natural de Cotapata, La Paz. Intermediate. Deadline for applications: 29 September.
Maximum 25 students.

Further information about contents, venue and dates will be accessible here when it is available. Please do not forget to register your name and email on the TABDP mailing list to receive updated information directly to your e-mail address.

Course application

Preference will be given to undergraduate students in their final year, or postgraduate students (first year). Course attendants should have demonstrated interest and have some experience in studying tropical butterflies. Between 12 to 25 students per country will be accepted depending on each course (advanced, intermediate or basic respectively).

To register for a course, please download and complete this application form and send it as a Word attachment via e mail to tabdarwin@gmail.com with a copy to k.willmott@flmnh.ufl.edu and a copy to your national coordinator indicating in the subject cursos TABD 2007 and your country (e.g. Cursos TABDP 2007 PERU).

Costs

We aim to offer courses free of charge for students with low income and with a minimum cost to others. This will depend on additional support from national institutions and sponsors. We do not charge registration fees but there is a minimal charge to cover other expenses such as transport, accommodation and food. There are also some grants available to support participation of low income students. The 2007 course charges are as follows are:

  Venezuela: 200,000 Bolivares
  Colombia: 250,000 pesos colombianos
  Bolivia: $50 USD
  Ecuador: $50 USD
  Peru: $50 USD

Last year's courses received the generous assistance of recognised researchers in Lepidoptera and other disciplines from several countries. If you wish to contribute as a lecturer or tutor in the 2007 courses please contact us, sending an e mail to kwillmott@flmnh.ufl.edu or tabdarwin@gmail.com. We really will appreciate any assistance.

The 2006 courses received the attention of the media and other associations. Please visit the following links for details: WWF Bolivia, Periodico El Deber Bolivia y El Nacional Venezuela.

Scholarships to support research projects on Andean butterflies

We are currently providing financial and logistical support to c. 20 research projects on Andean butterflies, selected following a competition in the five Andean countries in March 2007. We hope these projects will contribute to research on butterflies in each country and stimulate young researchers to continue studying butterflies. Approximately USD $12,000 was distributed in 2007, mainly to support fieldwork in these projects.

Eligibility

Projects needed to comply with the following criteria:
-Main group of study: Andean butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea & Hesperioidea).
-Research areas: Taxonomy, Ecology and Evolution, Genetics, Conservation, Biology, Biogeography, Collections.
-Project members predominantly Latin-American students and/or former students of TADBP 2006 courses.
-The project must be finished within one year.
-The project is not part of other projects, and it has not been organised before or currently by an institution.
-The project must have support of at least one recognised institution in the country and have an advisor (any nationality).

Next round of applications

We hope to obtain more support from other national and international institutions to keep contributing to research projects and to open a new competition by mid-2008. TABDP team and collaborators are keen to advise and help where possible on any other projects on Andean butterflies. If you or your institution want to contribute to support these and other projects please contact Keith Willmott: kwillmott@flmnh.ufl.edu.