#Lepidoptera of Panama

[dailybutterfly]

Butterfly #51: Costa-spotted Beautymark (Ancyluris jurgensenii)

Image credits: 1, 2, 3

There is little information about this butterfly.

[colorsoutofearth]

Photos from Biodiversity in Panama by Christian Ziegler

[driftlessroots]

Birds, schmirds! #Panamá has #butterflies, too! #lepidoptera #insects #nature #entomology #getoutside

[roseseafoam]

Clearwing butterfly, Cithaerias menander / pireta, from Panama by Art

[azulpetrichor]

[vladimir-nabokov-official]

Another association made a certain kind of symbol anathema. In his own happy childhood and sublime concord with both his parents, Nabokov saw the complete refutation of Freud, ‘the Viennese quack,’ a favorite target of his derision. For similar reasons, and because he believed that as an author he was in despotic control of his characters and their actions, he hated interpretations of his work that relied heavily on notions of Freud’s ‘standardized symbols’ or subconscious associations. ‘I happen to remember the essay by a young lady who attempted to find entomological symbols in my fiction,’ he told an interviewer. ‘The essay might have been amusing had she known something about Lepidoptera. Alas, she revealed complete ignorance and the muddle of terms she employed proved to be only jarring and absurd.’ The article, “Lolita Lepidoptera,” written in 1960 by Diana Butler, found parallels between Humbert Humbert’s passion for Lolita and Nabokov’s hunt for the female of ‘Lycaeides sublivens,’ one of his North American Blues, in southwestern Colorado. Privately, Nabokov called the piece ‘pretentious nonsense from beginning to end.’ He remained so annoyed that he appears to have tweaked its writer, disguised as the Roman goddess of hunting, years later in his novel “Ada.” There the title character invokes her old nature teacher, Krolik: ‘Knickerbockered, panama-hatted, lusting for his babochka [Russian for lepidopteran]. A passion, a sickness. What could Diana know about that chase?’

Kurt Johnson & Steve Coates, Nabokov’s Blues: The Scientific Odyssey of a Literary Genius (p. 297–8)

[evoldir]

Job: Gamboa_Panama.ButterflyFieldAssist

The Evolution of Brains and Behaviour (EBAB) Lab ( http://bit.ly/2AfxwNF) at the University of Cambridge is seeking a field assistant to help with developmental and behavioural studies of *Heliconius *butterflies at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Gamboa, Panama. The successful candidate will spend approximately three months in Panama, beginning in late January 2019. The position is open to all students with a background in zoology and interest in animal behaviour or neurobiology. *Heliconius *butterflies exhibit a marked expansion of the mushroom body, a region of the insect brain associated with learning and memory, being 3-4 times larger than in other Lepidoptera, including closely related Heliconiini genera. The EBAB Lab is investigating both the developmental basis and behavioural consequences of this expansion through developmental timeseries of neural tissue and behavioural experimentation across both *Heliconius *and non-*Heliconius *Heliconiini species. The primary responsibilities of the field assistant will be to maintain stock butterfly populations and rear caterpillars. There will also be opportunities to collect wild butterflies from surrounding forests, assist with behavioural experiments on long-term memory and reversal-learning ability, and learn to perform butterfly brain dissections. This is an excellent opportunity for a recent graduate to gain experience in behavioural experimentation, experimental design and field collecting. Dates: starting and finishing dates are flexible, but ideally the successful candidate will be available for three months, beginning in late January 2019. Funding: the successful applicant will receive 800 USD per month, which comfortably covers living costs while in Panama. STRI requires that all researchers have health insurance, this is not provided but can be purchased through STRI at the applicants cost. Financial assistance with air travel to and from Panama will be available if required. Accommodation: application can be made for accommodation through STRI or arranged privately. Accommodation costs are approximately 250-300 USD per month. Gamboa is a small town, with all facilities within comfortable walking distance. Interested applicants should have training in zoology or a related field, and should send a CV and brief statement of research interests to Fletcher Young (fletcherjyoung@gmail.com) and Laura Hebberecht ( laurahebberecht@gmail.com). Applicants will be interviewed via Skype in mid-December 2018. Applications will close December 7th 2018. Fletcher Young via Gmail

[coffeenuts]

Mariposa / Butterfly (Lepidoptera) by Panama Birds & Wildlife Photos http://flic.kr/p/WjxzCF

[javsdiaz97]

🐞Saltamontes perezoso🐞 😎Taeniopoda varipennis😎 . This beautiful grasshopper spreads from southward through Mexico and Central America.🌎🗺️🏕️🏞️ . Apparently omnivorous, but favoring certain broad-leaved herbaceous and shrubby plants. Often seen wandering on roads in large numbers, eating other smashed insects (including their own kind).😋🌳🍃☠️ . Overwinter as eggs. Nymphs are gregarious and start out dark red and yellow; later black, red, and yellow (or orange); and finally black and yellow.🕷️🐝🐜🐛🦋 . . . #panama #grasshopper #travel #forest #metropolitano #taeniopoda #yellow #earth #pty #nature #onlynature #green #fauna #leaves #canon #shot #wild #amazing #wander #wanderlust #biology #biologist #tropics #centralamerica #america #naturaleza #mariposa #lepidoptera #explore 💚 (at Parque Natural Metropolitano Panama) https://www.instagram.com/p/B07PM9sntWc/?igshid=odi5ncan8ns3

[driftlessroots]

Sharing old stuff while I wait for spring and new stuff. Loved this butterfly I saw in Panama for it's silvergreen spots. ID of Xenophanes in @inaturalist . There are X. tryxus in the area but I don't know enough to confidently say it's that species.

[evoldir]

Job: UCambridge.FieldAssist.EvolutionButterflyLearning

The Evolution of Brains and Behaviour Lab (http://bit.ly/2AfxwNF) at the University of Cambridge is seeking a field assistant to help with behavioural studies of Heliconius butterflies in Gamboa, Panama. The successful candidate will spend approximately three months in Panama, beginning in early February 2018. The position is open to all students with a background in zoology and interest in animal behaviour or neurobiology. The studies will form part of a project investigating the learning capabilities of Heliconius butterflies. Unique amongst the Lepidoptera, Heliconius butterflies actively feed on pollen which is collected from a limited number of a rare plants. In utilising these plants, Heliconius establish "traplines"; routes through the forest connecting several plants which are used with a high degree of spatial and temporal regularity. This behaviour suggests pollen feeding is dependent on an enhanced, visual orientated spatial memory and sophisticated learning ability. As part of this project, we will investigate the learning ability of Heliconius in non-spatial contexts. We will conduct colour, shape and olfactory associative learning experiments on Heliconius, as well as closely related non-pollen-feeding species, at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Gamboa, Panama (STRI). Field assistants will be involved in collecting wild butterflies from surrounding forests, tending to stock butterfly populations and assisting with behavioural experiments. This is an excellent opportunity for a recent graduate to gain experience in behavioural experimentation, experimental design and field collecting. Dates: starting and finishing dates are flexible, but ideally the successful candidate will be available for three months, beginning in early February 2018. Funding: the successful applicant will receive 800 USD per month, which comfortably covers living costs while in Panama. STRI requires that all researchers have health insurance, this is not provided but can be purchased through STRI. Financial assistance with transport to Gamboa will be available if required. Accommodation: application can be made for accommodation through the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute or arranged privately. Accommodation costs are approximately $250-300 per month. Gamboa is a small town with all facilities within comfortable walking distance. Interested applicants should have training in biology or a related field, and should send a CV and brief statement of research interests to Fletcher Young (fletcherjyoung@gmail.com). Applicants will be interviewed via Skype in early January. Applications will close December 29^th 2017. Fletcher Young via Gmail

[evoldir]

Fwd: Job: UBristol.FieldAssist.Butterflys

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Job: UBristol.FieldAssist.Butterflys > Date: 8 October 2019 at 06:51:55 BST > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > > The Evolution of Brains and Behaviour (EBAB) Lab > (https://ift.tt/30WSY2D) at the University of Bristol, UK > is seeking a field assistant to help with developmental and behavioural > studies of Heliconius butterflies at the Smithsonian Tropical Research > Institute (STRI) in Gamboa, Panama. The successful candidate will spend > approximately three months in Panama, beginning in mid-January 2020. The > position is open to all students with a background in zoology and interest > in animal behaviour or neurobiology. > > Heliconius butterflies exhibit a marked expansion of the mushroom body, > a region of the insect brain associated with learning and memory, being > 3-4 times larger than in other Lepidoptera, including closely related > Heliconiini genera. The EBAB Lab is investigating both the developmental > basis and behavioural consequences of this expansion through developmental > timeseries of neural tissue and behavioural experimentation across both > Heliconius and non-Heliconius Heliconiini species. > > The primary responsibilities of the field assistant will be to maintain > stock butterfly populations and rear caterpillars. There will also be > opportunities to collect wild butterflies from surrounding forests, assist > with behavioural experiments on long-term memory and learn to perform > insect brain dissections and lab protocols for next-generation sequencing > approaches. This is an excellent opportunity for a recent graduate to > gain experience in lab work, experimental design and field collecting. > > Dates: starting and finishing dates are flexible, but ideally the > successful candidate will be available for three months, beginning in > mid-January 2020. > > Funding: the successful applicant will receive 800 USD per month, which > comfortably covers living costs while in Panama. STRI requires that > all researchers have health insurance, this is not provided but can be > purchased through STRI at the applicantขs cost. Financial assistance > with air travel to and from Panama will be available if required. > > Accommodation: application can be made for accommodation through STRI > or arranged privately. Accommodation costs are approximately 250-300 USD > per month. Gamboa is a small town, with all facilities within comfortable > walking distance. > > Interested applicants should have training in zoology or a related > field, and should send a CV and brief statement of research interests > to Fletcher Young (fletcherjyoung@gmail.com) and Laura Hebberecht > (laurahebberecht@gmail.com). Applicants will be interviewed via Skype > in mid-November 2019. > > Applications will close 10 November 2019. > > Fletcher Young > via IFTTT

[evoldir]

Graduate position: MississippiStateU.2.ButterflyEvo

The Counterman lab at Mississippi State University is looking to recruit two highly motivated Ph.D. students interested in (1) evolutionary development, or (2) evolutionary genomics. Currently funded research projects in the lab are focused on the genetic basis of adaptive variation and developmental plasticity in butterfly wing color patterns. We are particularly recruiting students interested in studying (1) the developmental pathways involved in structural coloration, or (2) the molecular evolution of gene families and networks across Lepidoptera. Current work on color pattern development focuses on Heliconius and several other butterfly species in collaboration with Ryan Range at Auburn University. Current work on the evolution of gene families involved in adaptive divergence of butterflies is in collaboration with Federico Hoffmann at Mississippi State University. Students will also have opportunities to work closely with collaborators at the University of Puerto Rico (Riccardo Papa), George Washington University (Arnaud Martin), and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama (Owen McMillan). Mississippi State University is home to a strong group of faculty researching evolution and genomics. The Department of Biological Sciences hosts an excellent graduate program in biology, and a new interdisciplinary, cross-college graduate program in computational biology is currently being established. MSU is located in Starkville, a quaint southern college town with a historic downtown district that celebrates the local music and cuisine. For more information on the Counterman lab please visit the lab website: (http://bit.ly/2wwZEGi). Interested students are encouraged to email Brian Counterman (bcounterman@biology.msstate.edu). Please include a brief description of your research interests and a CV in your email. The target date for applications for Fall 2019 admission to is March 31, 2019. via Gmail

[evoldir]

Graduate position: UCambridge.NeuroEvoDevo

PHD: NEURO-EVO-DEVO We invite applications for a funded PhD position in the Department of Zoology in Central Cambridge on Downing Street with Dr Stephen Montgomery's research group. Developmental basis of mushroom body expansion in Heliconius butterflies Project summary: Mushroom bodies (MBs) are the most enigmatic structures in the insect brain. They have ‘higher order' functions, integrating sensory information and storing memories of past experience. MBs share a conserved ground plan, but their size and structure varies extensively across species. MB volume in Heliconius butterflies are among the highest across insects, 3-4 times larger than typical for Lepidoptera, including their most closely related genera in the wider tribe of Heliconiini. This provides a novel system for investigating the developmental mechanisms that control neural proliferation and brain component size. However, nothing is known about the developmental changes that have produced such a dramatic expansion. What the student will be doing: The project will involve core laboratory, microscopy and neuroanatomical techniques, insect rearing and experimental manipulation. You will construct the first time course of Heliconius brain development, from late larvae through pupation to adulthood. Using immunocytochemistry and confocal imaging you will determine key properties of MB growth trajectories, providing a template for developing hypotheses of when and how MB development in Heliconius diverged from related genera. By adopting an evo-devo approach you will then conduct a series of comparative studies across Heliconiini to assess how increases in neuron number are produced, considering four potential mechanisms: i) an increase in the number of neural progenitor cells, ii) accelerated cell-cycle rates during neurogenesis, iii) an extension in the overall duration of neurogenesis including the possibility of adult neurogenesis, iv) reduced or delayed patterns of apoptosis among neural progenitor cells. Finally, once key periods of developmental divergence have been identified between Heliconius and related genera, you will perform a second series of analyses to identify divergent patterns of gene regulation and expression as part of a project that aims to identify the genetic basis of MB expansion. Some field/insectary work in Panama may be necessary/desirable. The studentship is funded by the European Research Council for 3.5 years. A student stipend of £14,553 per annum, and tuition fees will be offered to a successful candidate. FUNDING: The studentship is funded by the European Research Council for 3.5 years. A student stipend of £14,553 per annum, and tuition fees will be offered to a successful candidate. FURTHER INFORMATION: http://bit.ly/2Ad3tlT /developmental-basis-of-mushroom-body-expansion-in-heliconius-butterfli es APPLICATION DETAILS: Formal applications are welcome until 27th April. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in early May and a decision will be made soon after. Informal enquiries to shm37@cam.ac.uk are welcome. For more details see: http://bit.ly/2z284ZL RESEARCH GROUP: http://bit.ly/1iozrKW Dr. Stephen Montgomery NERC Independent Research Fellow Dept. of Zoology, University of Cambridge Downing St. Cambridge, CB2 3EJ Tel: 01223336678 Email: shm37@cam.ac.uk Twitter: @eohomo Departmental webpage Personal webpage Stephen Montgomery via Gmail