The Status of Insect Alpha Taxonomy in Puerto Rico After the Scientific Survey

Capriles, J. Maldonado

doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1996.tb17421.x

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…The New York Academy of Sciences also initiated a series of expeditions in 1914 to establish insect collections (Smith et al., 1994). American entomologist George N. Wolcott, among the staff of The Insular Experiment Station in Río Piedras (founded by UPR in 1910), made exceptional taxonomic contributions during this time (Maldonado Capriles, 1996). Wolcott authored two preliminary insect checklists for Puerto Rico, “Insectae Portoricensis” (Wolcott, 1923) and “Insectae Borinquenses” (Wolcott, 1936), ultimately culminating in his 1948 publication “The Insects of Puerto Rico,” of which the list for Puerto Rico's butterflies was published separately (Wolcott, 1948).…”

Section: Taxonomy and Life Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…S. J. Ramos (UPR) published lists of updates to the nomenclature of Puerto Rican butterflies in 1982 and 1996 (Ramos, 1982(Ramos, , 1996, building on the work of Comstock (1944) and Riley (1975). , Maldonado Capriles (1996 published an upto-date account of insect taxonomy work in Puerto Rico. Then, Torres and Silverio Medina-Gaud (USDA: TARS) provided an overview of insect families in Puerto Rico, approximating 1045 species of Lepidoptera, in contrast with Wolcott's 939 species in 1948 (Torres & Medina-Gaud, 1998).…”

Section: The Modern Foundation Of the Taxonomy Of Puerto Ricomentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lepidoptera research in Puerto Rico: Reconnecting with historical legacies to guide future priorities

Terry,

Alonso‐Rodríguez,

Miller

et al. 2023

Biotropica

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The Caribbean archipelago of Puerto Rico supports a diverse flora and fauna and is located in a region characterized by complex socio‐economic and environmental change. The diversity of entomofauna across Puerto Rico has received considerable attention in wide‐scale research over the last century, with particular emphasis on the order Lepidoptera as the subject of substantial taxonomic and ecological surveys. However, much of this work is incomplete, outdated, or has been obscured in gray literature. Thus, our primary objectives were to contextualize the role of past research in the current understanding of Puerto Rican Lepidoptera and to outline an agenda for future research. Specifically, we provide an overview of taxonomic, ecological, agricultural, and conservation Lepidoptera research in Puerto Rico and highlight key studies and historical datasets. We found that, despite a strong taxonomic legacy, native moth taxonomy remains poorly understood, except for a few major pests. Further, much of the recent Lepidoptera research has focused on short‐term evaluations of agricultural pests, necessitated by immediate economic needs. The current ecological status of Lepidoptera on the islands is unknown. Therefore, prioritizing ecological research could provide timely insight for understanding changing Lepidoptera diversity and distribution and for conserving this biologically and economically significant group. Greater emphasis on long‐term monitoring and digitization of museum collections would be particularly useful for quantifying past and forecasting future impacts of global change.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.

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