GAINESVILLE - University of Florida scientists have discovered a new species of owl butterfly from Mexico , the first from this group to be described in more than 100 years, and UF\'s Florida Museum of Natural History will auction the naming rights for this species online to raise money for Lepidoptera research.
As a symbol of tropical America , Owl Butterflies have captured the imagination of naturalists and scientists for centuries. Because of their large size and the conspicuous eyespots on their wings below, Owl Butterflies are also some of the most familiar and best-known butterflies; one of the largest Owl Butterfly groups is known to science as Opsiphanes. The new species, with a wingspan of about 4 inches and a beautiful orange color, lives in the Sonoran Desert in northwestern Mexico .
Since very few large and spectacular butterflies remain to be discovered, it was surprising that a striking new species of Opsiphanes was encountered during 2007 in the collections of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity , Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida , Gainesville , Florida , by staff researchers George T. Austin and Dr. Andrew D. Warren. It is extraordinarily uncommon for such a large, showy butterfly to have escaped detection until now," said Warren, a post-doctoral associate at the McGuire Center . "This likely will be one of the last times such a large and beautiful butterfly is named. The auction represents a unique opportunity for someone to leave behind a lasting legacy and support continued butterfly research in threatened habitats in Mexico ."
In order to raise money to support continued research on Mexican butterflies at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, in partnership with researchers at the Alfonso L. Herrera Zoology Museum at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, rights to name this new species of Opsiphanes will be auctioned online between October 22nd and November 2nd, 2007, on iGAVEL (www.iGAVEL.com).
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The winning bidder will have the name of his or her choice applied to the new species in the original publication of its formal description, following the rules of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. This name will then be the name used for this species in all future scientific publications, field guides, and any other communication that mentions the species.
Color illustration copies of the original journal publication will be given to the winning bidder by the end of November 2007 for distribution, as well as framed photos of the species.Proceeds from this auction qualify as a charitable contribution, deductible subject to IRS limitations and will go directly to supporting research on Mexican butterflies at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, in collaboration with the Alfonso L. Herrera Zoology Museum at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
For more information on the auction go to www.flmnh.ufl.edu or contact Beverly Sensbach, Director of Development, at (352) 846-2000, ext. 205 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..For more information on current research on Mexican butterflies, go to www.mariposasmexicanas.com
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Andrew D. Warren, PhD
McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity
Florida Museum of Natural History
University of Florida
P.O. Box 112710
Gainesville, FL 32611-2710
352-359-0668
Museo de Zoologia \"Alfonso L. Herrera\"
Departamento de Biologia Evolutiva
Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Apdo. Postal 70-399
Mexico, D.F. 04510
MEXICO