Jurate De Prins

• PhD, FRES www.afromoths.net www.gracillariidae.net
• Editor-in-chief at Flemish Entomological Society

This website provides an online database of the Afrotropical moth species (Lepidoptera), updated with the latest information obtained from 7,283 published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on family-group names: 555 genus-group names: 8,007 (recognized genera: 4,499) species-group names: 38,241 (recognized species: 28...

Gracillariidae are one of the most diverse families of internally feeding insects, and many species are economically important. Study of this family has been hampered by lack of a robust and comprehensive phylogeny. In the present paper, we sequenced up to 22 genes in 96 gracillariid species, representing all previously rec- ognized subfamilies and...

Taxonomic text and data mining in collections and libraries of natural history has received much attention in recent months. Given the fact that intelligent text and data mining is able to extract taxonomic facts and evidences around such subjects like species, types, distribution, parasitoids, host plants, relationships, DNA, accumulate informatio...

The present knowledge on lepidopteran-hymenopteran trophic relationship is still in the initial stadium of investigation. The method to fill the gaps using text-mining approaches and based on empirical and experimental observation seems to be plausible. Based on the case study, the interlinked information stored in the Global Gracillariidae databas...

Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) are commonly known by the leaf miner habit found in the larval stage of most species. By using worldwide, public databases on species diversity and DNA sequences available for extant gracillariid species, we determined changes in the rate of taxonomic species descriptions through time, mapped their spatial distributions...

Advances in genomics enable the inclusion of historic collection specimens in phylogenetic analyses for the delimitation of natural groups. We capitalise on these developments to generate data from independent sources like mitochondrial genomes, morphology and bionomics. Using leaf-mining moths as model organisms, we address the evolutionary proble...

In the current situation of a biodiversity crisis, we look for a more holistic and integrative way to address the ongoing problems and find influential solutions in traditional research fields such as insect systematics and phylogeny. Lepidoptera as the most studied, loved and collected insect group provides endless possibilities to integrate the v...

For more than five decades the VVE has been actively involved in biodiversity projects. The digital revolution created a new environment where we, in real-time, are networking together. We realise the importance of two-way communication between virtual-real and real-virtual spaces. Part of the correct and result-linked communication strategy is to...

An annotated checklist of moths was compiled for Zambia based on intensive and extensive reviews of the literature on insects of the country and on field surveys undertaken by the study for a period of five years from March 2013 to October 2017 to confirm some of the literature review records documented. The checklist contains 1,816 species of moth...

The genus Lecithocera Herrich-Schäffer, 1853 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) is reviewed, with descriptions of four new species: Lecithocera katangaica Park, sp. nov., L. seydeliella Park, sp. nov., L. cornutispina Park, sp. nov., and L. lusingensis Park, sp. nov. Five species are already recorded from this country: 1) L. chloros...

Eighteen species of Acrocercopinae are newly reported from Sub-Saharan Africa, twelve of which are described as new to science: Acrocercops crena sp. nov., Cryptolectica convexa sp. nov., C. curvatum sp. nov., Dialectica falcata sp. nov., D. silvana sp. nov., Gibbovalva cingulata sp. nov., Spulerina cuneata sp. nov., S. marginata sp. nov., S. multi...

In the shell family Pollicidae (Mollusca: Venerida), the genus Pollex Stephenson, 1953 was introduced as “Genus POLLEX Stephenson, n. gen.”, with Pollex obesus Stephenson, 1953 as its type species, by original designation (Stephenson 1953: 94). In the same genus, Stephenson (1953: 95) also included Pollex angulatus Stephenson, 1953 and an unnamed P...

This sixth report of activities of the Linz Zoocode Committee is devoted to the result of the enquiry launched by this Committee in 2021 about the status of new nomina and nomenclatural acts published so far on CD-ROMs. After a discussion of some problems of interpretation raised by Articles 8.4.2, 8.1.2 and 9.12 of the Code, we provide information...

Book review Eddie John & Christodoulos Makris. 2022. Butterflies of Cyprus. A Field Guide and Distribution Atlas.

The Editor-in-Chief of Phegea attended the XXVI International Congress of Entomology in Helsinki, July 17-22, 2022. One of the hottest items was whether the Nagoya Protocol obstructs taxonomy science and the activities of taxonomists. The Protocol was agreed upon in 2010 and the entomological community has to comply with the fair access and benefit...

We provide the identification and species delineation of this biocontrol agent as Stomphastis thraustica (Meyrick in Trans Ent Soc Lond 80(1):107–120, 1908) belonging to the family Gracillariidae. We clarify the distribution pattern of S. thraustica, its host plant preferences, and present taxonomic and molecular diagnoses based on original morphol...

Visual evidence has become an important part of any faunistic or taxonomic record, which may often replace or supplement texts. Smartphone photography allows the formation of digital illustrations and scientific evidence without any time constraints or choice of subject. Today, every smartphone has a built-in video camera that can record insect beh...

This fifth report of activities of the Linz Zoocode Committee is devoted to a detailed survey of the problems raised by the current Rules of the Code, published in 2012, regarding the nomenclatural availability of works published online and registered on the database Zoobank. It points to various deficiencies in these Rules and in the conception an...

This fourth report of activities of the Linz Zoocode Committee is devoted to a detailed survey of the problems raised by the current Rules of the Code regarding the nomenclatural availability of works published on paper, concerning their dates, material and administrative parameters of publication, and various other matters. It proposes a few chang...

Two new species, Urodeta falcata sp. nov. from Ghana and U. bisigna sp. nov. from Democratic Republic of the Congo are described. The habitus and genitalia are diagnosed and illustrated in detail. Identification keys to the Afrotropical species of the genus Urodeta , based on male and female genitalia, are provided.

For quite some time, there has been an active discussion on two urgent topics: climate change and biodiversity loss. Regarding climate change and biodiversity issues we observe the convergence of multiple trends. An interesting practical solution for these devastating environmental problems advocated by our members lies in the digitalization of our...

The achievements in entomological science largely depend on gathering and synthesizing the heterogenous data on species diversity as well as incorporating species and taxa concepts into newly developed models and paradigms. Citizen scientists have proved that collaborative work in that field is extremely effective when conducted among groups of hig...

New times bring different methods and different approaches on how we study insect biodiversity. Many members of the Flemish Entomological Society actively participate in different DNA barcoding-related projects. Also, many of them exchanged their entomological nets with sophisticated digital cameras and became very enthusiastic recorders of distrib...

A checklist of 180 species belonging to the family Lecithoceridae (68 species of the subfamily Lecithocerinae and 112 species of the subfamily Torodorinae) is provided, with references to the original description, type species, and distribution. Twelve species which were described in Lecithocera Herrich-Shäffer by Viette (1954–1988) from Madagascar...

After twenty years of publishing the taxonomic journal Zootaxa, it is now the right time to synthesize its achievements and its contribution to the taxonomic knowledge of the Afrotropical Lepidoptera taxa. These contributions were made thanks to the exploration of natural habitats, museum collections, historic libraries, private holdings and phylog...

Abstract. The inventory of Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera), carried out at the Theniet El Had National Park (PNTEH) shows the existence of 23 taxa and three families: Notodontidae, Erebidae and Noctuidae. Identification is obtained from samples taken from 6 habitat types. This fauna list further enriches the knowledge on the entomological fauna of the Het...

Fourteen new species of the Afrotropical genus Thubdora Park, 2018 (Lecithoceridae: Torodorinae) are described from Uganda: Thubdora afropyralidis Park, sp. nov., T. fruticosa Park, sp. nov., T. kibalensis Park, sp. nov., T. klenodes Park, sp. nov., T. latidiscalis Park, sp. nov., T. mirinae Park, sp. nov., T. nemorosa Park, sp. nov., T. retusivalv...

Major environmental–biodiversity changes and new developments in technology have changed the way we live, work and how we create our future. The main attention of biodiversity researchers nowadays is focused on the application of the developments of digital technology for fast, efficient and ethical solutions related to biodiversity data management...

The Hajar Mountain Range of Northern Oman is an important centre of species endemism, and of biogeographical interest as a crossroads between the Afrotropical and Palaearctic regions. Despite this, the invertebrate fauna of the region is largely unknown, with very little dedicated research or surveys having been undertaken until now. Here we presen...

Gracillariidae leaf miners include 1987 species of poorly studied micromoths for which the majority of the diversity has been described from temperate regions. The Neotropics harbors one of the richest faunas of Gracillariidae, but the rate of taxon descriptions has been slow because of limited sampling and taxonomic activity. In this illustrated c...

Ptilothyris Walsingham, 1897, a poorly known Afrotropical genus of Lecithoceridae, is revised. Eight new species are described and illustrated: P., P. pilosa Park, sp. nov., and P. vokaensis Park, sp. nov. Each species is compared with type specimens of the related species deposited in various museums worldwide. COI barcode sequences of six species...

This website provides an online database of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) on a worldwide basis, updated with the latest information obtained from 4933 published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on family-group names: 21 genus-group names: 149 (recognized genera: 107) species-group names: 2,720 (recognized species: 1,9...

This website provides an online database of the Afrotropical moth species (Lepidoptera), updated with the latest information obtained from 7,632 published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on family-group names: 563 genus-group names: 8,056 (recognized genera: 4,503) species-group names: 38,595 (recognized species: 28...

The addition of the Nagoya Protocol, which entered into force on 12 October 2014, to the Convention on Biological Diversity, established the ground rules how nations access, cooperate and share the benefits that come from sustainable utilization of genetic resources of living organisms [1]. This protocol changed the way biodiversity researchers wor...

Widely known for pest species that include major modulators of temperate forests, the genus Choristoneura is part of the species‐rich tribe Archipini of leafroller moths (Tortricidae). Delimitation of the genus has remained unresolved because no phylogeny has included species endemic to Africa and studies have often omitted the type species of the...

Choristoneura species are well known as temperate forest pests, but delimitation of the genus has remained unresolved. Taxonomic confusion increased when Archips occidentalis (Walsingham) was transferred to Choristoneura, creating a homonym with Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman. We reconstructed a phylogeny using DNA for mitochondrial COI and nuc...

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) commits its 196 nation parties to conserve biological diversity, use its components sustainably, and share fairly and equitably the benefits from the utilization of genetic resources. The last of these objectives was further codified in the Convention's Nagoya Protocol (NP), which came into effect in 201...

Nearly a century ago, wing venation was introduced in gracillariid taxonomy as a means to diagnose closely related genera and species groups. Recent advances in non-destructive virtual micro-dissections suggest promising approaches with which to revisit the relevance of wing venation characters on historic primary type specimens. Many unique type s...

This website provides an online database of the Afrotropical moth species (Lepidoptera), updated with the latest information obtained from 7,355 published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on family-group names: 553 genus-group names: 8,033 (recognized genera: 4,498) species-group names: 38,542 (recognized species: 2...

This website provides an online database of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) on a worldwide basis, updated with the latest information obtained from 4877 published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on family-group names: 21 genus-group names: 149 (recognized genera: 107) species-group names: 2,714 (recognized species: 1,9...

The current research on Gracillariidae tries to include a wider range of factors that may be involved in the evolutionary processes of speciation and the knowledge of these factors is still scarce and not verified. The diversity of the Gracillariidae in the Neotropical region is the least studied at the moment, though this part of the world probabl...

Morphology of seventh and eighth abdominal segments of male, genitalia, wing venation, and some external characters were analyzed on 165 specimens, which represent 31 species of Caloptilia and eight genera of related taxa. To record the major morphology variability of the adult of Caloptilia, were employed species from different biogeographic regio...

The collections of Lepidoptera often serve as foundational basis for a wide range of biological, ecological, and climate science disciplines. Species identification and higher taxa delimitation based on collection specimens and especially, on types test scientific hypotheses, provide multiple types of evidence for a broad range of users. Curation a...

This website provides an online database of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) on a worldwide basis, updated with the latest information obtained from 4877 published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on family-group names: 21 genus-group names: 148 (recognized genera: 106) species-group names: 2,700 (recognized species: 1,...

This website provides an online database of the Afrotropical moth species (Lepidoptera), updated with the latest information obtained from 7,355 published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on family-group names: 552 genus-group names: 8,023 (recognized genera: 4,496) species-group names: 38,363 (recognized species: 28...

The entomological literature contains numerous inconsistent spellings of the syntomine Amata kuhlweinii (Lefébvre, 1832). Literature studies show that the correct spelling should read as previously cited in the headline. The date of publication should be quoted correctly as 1832.

This website provides an online database of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) on a worldwide basis, updated with the latest information obtained from 4832 published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on family-group names: 18 genus-group names: 148 (recognized genera: 106) species-group names: 2,696 (recognized species: 1,...

This website provides an online database of the Afrotropical moth species (Lepidoptera), updated with the latest information obtained from 7,702 published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on family-group names: 555 genus-group names: 7,995 (recognized genera: 4,494) species-group names: 38,179 (recognized species: 28...

This comprehensive checklist is a synthesis of the verified taxonomic information on all known Neotropical Gracillariidae species presented in a concise and uniformed way. The taxonomic information on these moth species in the Neotropical region is assembled and presented along with the referenced information on species distribution, host plants an...

Online verified, concise, searchable and updated taxonomic databases can serve as foundational basis for taxonomic scientific hypotheses and also for a wide range of biological and ecological disciplines. A consensus has already been achieved among the lepidopterist community that taxon delimitation and designation processes are tested as a scienti...

This website provides an online database of the Afrotropical moth species (Lepidoptera), updated with the latest information obtained from 6,962 published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on family-group names: 553 genus-group names: 7,924 (recognized genera: 4,423) species-group names: 37,508 (recognized species: 27...

This website provides an online database of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) on a worldwide basis, updated with the latest information obtained from 4808 published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on family-group names: 17 genus-group names: 147 (recognized genera: 105) species-group names: 2,683 (recognized species: 1,...

As it is generally known a lot of lepidopteran species in the Afrotropics are facing a multitude of threads for their survival. Many taxonomic issues in this biogeographic region are far from being solved: there are still a lot of new species awaiting formal description, on the other hand there are quite some lepidopteran groups in which species we...

• Current taxonomic combination and information of 2,678 species-group names with full synonymy • Higher taxa are presented following the latest systematics retrieved from recent molecular papers • You will find information on type specimens in ALL museums housing the types of gracillariid moths • Verified country distribution data (8,798) • Verifi...

• Current taxonomic combination and information of 36,768 species-group names with full synonymy • Higher taxa are presented following the latest systematics retrieved from recent molecular papers • You will find information on type specimens in ALL museums housing types of Afrotropical moths • Verified country distribution data (67,623) • Verified...

A new species of the leaf-mining moth genus Caloptilia (Gracillariidae), C. mwamba sp. nov., suggested to be associated with Cremaspora triflora (Thonn.) K.Schum. (Rubiaceae) is described from east and central Africa. The taxonomic relationships of the new species with its congeners from the Oriental and the Palaearctic regions are discussed. Newly...

Choreutis nemorana (Hübner, 1799) (Lep.: Choreutidae), is reported as a new species for Britain, from London, where it was reared from a fig tree Ficus carica L. in July 2014.

Higher taxa often show increasing species richness towards tropical low latitudes, a pattern known as the latitudinal biodiversity gradient (LBG). A rare reverse LBG (with greater richness towards temperate high latitudes) is exhibited by Gracillariidae moths, in which most described species, occur in northern temperate areas. We carried out the fi...

Recent advances in digital technology have completely changed the way a museum curator (of all disciplines) needs to work. Curation of collections has always been concerned with access to specimens and the information they hold. Digitisation is the most important advance that collections have seen and the curator has had to adapt accordingly. At th...

Recently De Prins et al. (2013) published a description of the new genus Triberta and transferred to it two species, T. cistifoliella (Groschke) and T. helianthemella (Herrich-Schäffer), formerly assigned to the genus Phyllonorycter Hübner. In the upcoming studies related to this new genus the need arose to clarify whether the publication year of T...

As so many other species, Metalampra italica Baldizzone, 1977, sibling to M. cinnamomea (Zeller, 1839), has recently expanded its area northwards. The species was described from Italy, but has been recorded lately from Germany, Croatia, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Its presence in Belgium is confirmed now by examination of its genitalia.

As so many other species, Metalampra italica Baldizzone, 1977, sibling to M. cinnamomea (Zeller, 1839), has recently expanded its area northwards. The species was described from Italy, but has been recorded lately from Germany, Croatia, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Its presence in Belgium is confirmed now by examination of its genitalia.

Via the project LINCAOCNET financed by the Fonds francophone des Inforoutes and the Belgian Cooperation, information on edible insects from 10 Western and Central African Countries were collected. The results show that between 7 to 23 species are eaten in the different countries. The preferred taxa also differ largely between countries and regions....

The edible insects, among others belonging to the order Lepidoptera, gain a huge economic and societal interest since they can significantly improve diets of humans and feed of livelihood at present and in the future. On the other hand the museums and their insect collections for centuries were the headquarters of taxonomic efforts trying to achiev...

Bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia, Euphorbiaceae), a deciduous shrub introduced as an ornamental from tropical America, is a major and expanding weed of rangelands and riparian zones in northern Australia. Biological control is the most economically viable and long-term management solution for this weed. Surveys for potential biological contro...

Book review on Edible insects: Future prospects for food and feed security

The gracillariid genus Triberta gen. nov. (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae: Lithocolletinae Stainton, 1854) is described to accommodate two species formerly assigned to the genus Phyllonorycter Hübner, 1822: Triberta helianthemella (Herrich-Schäffer, 1861) comb. nov. and T. cistifoliella (Groschke, 1944) comb. nov. Triberta cistifoliella bona sp. is re...

Last updated: 17 October 2013 This website provides an online database of the Afrotropical moth species (Lepidoptera), updated with the latest information obtained from published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on •family-group names: 532 •genus-group names: 7,633 (recognized genera: 4,339) •species-group names:...

Last updated: 17 October 2013 This website provides an online database of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) on a worldwide basis, updated with the latest information obtained from published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on •family-group names: 17 •genus-group names: 145 (recognized genera: 103) •species-group names:...

Higher taxa often show increasing species richness towards tropical low latitudes, a pattern known as the latitudinal biodiversity gradient (LBG). A rare reverse LBG (with greater richness towards temperate high latitudes) is exhibited by Gracillariidae leaf-mining moths, in which most described species, occur in northern temperate areas. We carrie...

This paper deals with two European species, Phyllonorycter mespilella (Hübner, 1805) and P. trifasciella (Haworth, 1828), that have colonized the subtropical Canary Islands. The Rosaceae leaf miner, P. mespilella, is recorded for the first time from Lanzarote and La Palma, while the Caprifoliaceae leaf miner, P. trifasciella, is recorded from Tener...

Last updated: 10 May 2013 This website provides an online database of the Afrotropical moth species (Lepidoptera), updated with the latest information obtained from published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on •family-group names: 517 •genus-group names: 7,590 (recognized genera: 4,301) •species-group names: 35,4...

Last updated: 10 May 2013 This website provides an online database of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) on a worldwide basis, updated with the latest information obtained from published sources and from our own studies. It currently holds information on •family-group names: 17 •genus-group names: 145 (recognized genera: 103) •species-group names: 2,6...

A new species, Urodeta noreikai Sruoga & De Prins, is described from the Nepalese Himalayas. The habitus and genitalia of both sexes are diagnosed and illustrated in detail. This discovery constitutes the first record of the occurrence of the genus Urodeta Stainton, 1869 in Asia and its biogeographic significance is discussed.

Afrotropical Lithocolletinae are known from 26 described species, mainly from southern Africa. In the present study, we describe 41 new species, totaling 66 species from this geographical region. The new species include: Hyloconis luki De Prins, n. sp., Neolithocolletis mayumbe De Prins, n. sp., N. nsengai De Prins, n. sp., Cameraria fara De Prins,...

Afrotropical Lithocolletinae are known from 26 described species, mainly from southern Africa. In the present study we describe 41 new species, bring to 66 the number of species from this geographical region. The new species include: Hyloconis luki De Prins, n. sp., Neolithocolletis mayumbe De Prins, n. sp., N. nsengai De Prins, n. sp., Cameraria f...

The apoditrysian family Elachistidae, including its subfamily Elachistinae, has recently gained a comprehensive phylogenetic treatment (Kaila 1999, 2004; Kaila & Sugisima 2011, Kaila et al. 2011) culminating with a landmark monograph on the biodiversity of its Australian fauna (Kaila 2011). However, sub-saharan Africa still remains as one of the ma...

DNA barcoding surveys of small insects usually extract DNA from either a complete insect or a leg. Little is known about how to optimize DNA quantity and quality from different insect parts while preserving a morphological voucher. Here, we quantify DNA yield from different body parts (antenna, hind leg, forewing, hind wing and abdomen) of the micr...

“Order Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness”.

Classification of Order Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758 (4 suborders) (15,578 genera, 157,424 species, 50/86)