Global Lepidoptera Network

Global Lepidoptera Network
Name	Global Lepidoptera Network
Formation	2012
Type	International consortium
Headquarters	London
Region served	Worldwide
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Dr. Maria Hughes

Global Lepidoptera Network The Global Lepidoptera Network is an international consortium of researchers, institutions, museums, and citizen science groups dedicated to documenting butterfly and moth diversity through coordinated research, data sharing, and conservation action. The Network coordinates projects that span institutions such as the Natural History Museum, London, the Smithsonian Institution, the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, the American Museum of Natural History, and regional centers like the Australian Museum and the Iziko South African Museum, linking curatorial collections, academic programs, and field expeditions.

Overview and Mission

The Network's mission emphasizes integrated taxonomy, digitization, and conservation, aligning with priorities set by entities like the Convention on Biological Diversity, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services to inform policy, museum curation, and public engagement. Through partnerships with organizations such as the Royal Entomological Society, the Linnean Society of London, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Zoological Society of London, and the Biodiversity Heritage Library, the Network seeks to accelerate specimen-based research, promote standards used by projects like Barcode of Life Data System and the Atlas of Living Australia, and support capacity building in regions represented by institutions like the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution and the Museo de La Plata.

History and Development

Founded in 2012 after a series of workshops hosted by the Natural History Museum, London, the Network grew from collaborations among curators at the Natural History Museum, London, researchers from the University of Cambridge, field biologists affiliated with the University of Oxford, and citizen scientists from groups like the Butterfly Conservation charity and the North American Butterfly Association. Early funding came from foundations such as the Wellcome Trust, the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and from grant awards administered by the European Commission and national agencies including the National Science Foundation and the Australian Research Council. Milestones include digitization partnerships with the Biodiversity Heritage Library, molecular standardization with the International Barcode of Life Project, and a 2018 global census co-sponsored with the Royal Society and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Organizational Structure and Membership

The Network is governed by a steering committee comprising representatives from museums and universities such as the Natural History Museum, London, the Smithsonian Institution, the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of São Paulo, and receives scientific guidance from advisory panels that include members from the Royal Entomological Society, the American Entomological Society, and the Committee on Data (CODATA). Membership spans national museums like the National Museum of Natural History, France, academic departments including the Department of Entomology at Cornell University and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University, NGOs such as Conservation International and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and community groups like the Xerces Society and the Butterfly Conservation.

Research Activities and Projects

Research priorities include integrative taxonomy, phylogenomics, biogeography, and monitoring of phenological shifts, executed through projects modeled on initiatives such as the Tree of Life project, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility data mobilization campaigns, and the Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure. Major programs have included a global DNA barcoding campaign coordinated with the Barcode of Life Data System, a continental-scale occurrence mapping effort parallel to the Atlas of Living Australia, and collaborative phylogenomic studies with laboratories at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the Natural History Museum, London, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Field programs have partnered with regional universities such as the University of Cape Town, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and the Indian Institute of Science to study declines documented in reports by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and to contribute data used by policy bodies like the European Environment Agency.

Data Collection, Curation, and Accessibility

Specimen digitization and databasing follow standards established by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG), with imaging protocols shared with institutions such as the Natural History Museum, London, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Sequence data are archived in repositories like the European Nucleotide Archive and linked to records in the Barcode of Life Data System, while occurrence records are aggregated into portals modeled on the Atlas of Living Australia and GBIF. The Network supports open data practices promoted by the Open Knowledge Foundation and works with legal frameworks influenced by the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol to navigate access and benefit-sharing with countries of origin such as Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa.

Conservation and Education Initiatives

Conservation programs prioritize habitat protection and restoration informed by assessments from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and collaborative conservation planning with NGOs like Conservation International, the World Wildlife Fund, and the RSPB. Education outreach uses models from the Smithsonian Institution and training modules developed with the Royal Entomological Society, implementing citizen science campaigns akin to those of the North American Butterfly Association, the Butterfly Conservation charity, and the Xerces Society to engage schools, museums, and community groups across regions including Amazonas (Brazilian state), Madagascar, and Borneo.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The Network maintains strategic partnerships with major institutions including the Natural History Museum, London, the Smithsonian Institution, the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, collaborates with research consortia such as the International Barcode of Life Project and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and engages with conservation organizations like the World Wide Fund for Nature and Conservation International. Regional collaborations extend to universities including the University of Cape Town, the Universidad de São Paulo, the University of Melbourne, and governmental agencies such as the European Environment Agency and the United States Geological Survey.

Category:Entomological organizations Category:Biological databases Category:Conservation organizations