Lepidopteran biodiversity: Patterns and estimators

Abstract

The term biodiversity has many definitions, one of which is the measurement of species richness on a global basis (Lovejoy 1997). Lepidopterans (moths and butterflies) are one of the most speciose groups of organisms on Earth; the biological characteristics instrumental in the success of this group are complex and interrelated. Examining patterns of diversity may be less than satisfactory because of the varied ways of looking at species richness; as examples, richness can be examined taxonomically (i.e., how many species of a certain group) or geographically (i.e., how many species in a particular area). The fastest way to estimate species richness of a taxon or of a geographic area is by compiling data from the literature and/or using museum collections. However, to address specific conservation issues, field collections and detailed taxonomic studies are vital to document and compare species richness among specific sites. Locality data on older museum specimens sometimes is inadequate to make conservation decisions; therefore, field collections become necessary to obtain useful data. This especially is true of the larger groups in Lepidoptera (e.g., Noctuoidea, Geometroidea, Pyraloidea, and Gelechioidea) because many areas in the world that are suitable for studies of species richness are poorly collected (e.g., the Pyraloidea of Mexico; Solis 1996). Systematic studies determine the relationships between species and provide information for identification.