Hong Kong Moths

Asian Lepidoptera Conservation Symposium Series

Asian Lepidoptera Conservation Symposium Series

a short history

Project Founder & Co-ordinator: Dr. R.C.Kendrick

Mission : Facilitating the conservation of Asian butterflies & moths and the habitats upon which they depend

Challenges

Wildlife conservation, irrespective of the biotic group under consideration, faces lots of tough issues. Asia is the most populous continent, with 4.5 billion people (60% of the global total) in 44.58 million km2 (30% of global land area). Most humans do not care that we are inextricably part of nature, so are not aware that issues like habitat change, climate change and pollution are all linked to food security. Without pollinators (bees get the glory, but butterflies and moths play an important role, too), recyclers (breaking down dead plant and animal matter) and other key ecological roles that Lepidoptera fill, humans would not be able to access fruits, vegetables, fresh water and other valuable ecosystem services.

Understanding

Basic inventorying of species found in a particular place is critical to understanding how the ecosystems funtion. Documentation has been improved as new websites for Asian countries’ butterfly and moth species are coming online. Citizen science portals like iNaturalist have been a great assest to increase awareness and understanding of the critical issues and start tackling the major impediments, like taxonomy, identification, ecology and geographic distribution of species, as well as baseline data about species assemblages in a particular location. ALCS contributors have been part of a global effort to document changes in Lepidoptera assemblages and investigate why these changes are taking place.

Initial Aims (in 2006)

  • to assess the current conservation status of Asian Lepidoptera;
  • to create and maintain a framework for Lepidoptera conservation in Asia;
  • to undertake a practical series of symposia and workshops

    Actions

    To help meet these aims, actions undertaken by ALCS delegates have included:
  • undertaking six symposia, with delegates primarily from South, South-east and East Asia, as well as Europe and Australia;
  • assisting with practical conservation advice and action at the local level throughout tropical Asia;
  • participated in, as leaders and educators, events for raising awareness of the plight of wildlife conservation in Asia;
  • published books, scientific papers, websites and Lepidoptera data online (e.g. Moths of India website; iNaturalist projects for moth recording in Asia and many of its countries).

    ALCS #1 - September 2006; Hong Kong

    (First South East Asian Lepidoptera Conservation Symposium)

    Organised and hosted by

    Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden, Tai Po
    Held at The University of Hong Kong Kadoorie Centre.

    Key themes:

  • Conservation assessment and strategy
  • Hong Kong Lepidoptera Conservation
  • Butterfly Gardening & Farming
  • Internet Resources for Lepidoptera Conservation

    • 1st Symposium Agreements & Declaration:
    Hong Kong Declaration on the Conservation of Lepidoptera


    Recognising that terrestrial biodiversity is dominated overwhelmingly by the invertebrates, particularly insects and their relatives, and recognising that of all the mega-diverse of insect Orders the butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) are the best understood evolutionarily, ecologically and taxonomically, and noting that the Lepidoptera have a special place in human perception, culture and nature appreciation, the participants in the first South-east Asian Lepidoptera Conservation Symposium recommend as follows:
    • The Lepidoptera be regarded as the target group of choice in any habitat assessment which includes invertebrate biodiversity;
    • Conservation decision-making involving the Lepidoptera should be evidence based involving the best available results of scientific research;
    • Conservation of the Lepidoptera, explicitly, should focus both on individual rare, endangered or vulnerable species (as assessed using the best available research results) AND on entire functional assemblages of butterflies and moths and their habitats in nature.

    ALCS #2 - November 2008

    Organised and hosted by

    Penang Butterfly Farm, Penang, Malaysia

    Key Theme

  • Conservation of Lepidoptera through Education and Research

    Not enough space here to summarise this intense week of Lepidoptera conservation based talks, workshops, posters and field visits.

    Proceedings can be downloaded from
    http://www.butterfly-insect.com/alcs2008/alcs-proceedings.html
    		• visit to Penang National Park
    ALCS delegates visiting Penang National Park

    visit to mangrove, Matang, Perak, Malaysia
    ALCS delegates visited managed mangrove at Matang, Perak     		Penang Butterfly FarmPenang Butterfly Farm
    Atlas Moth, Penang Butterfly Farm
    Birdwing butterfly, Penang Butterfly Farm

    lycaenid larva tended by ants in mangrove
    lycaenid larva tended by ants, Matang

    ALCS #3 - October 2010

    Jointly organised by

    • IUCN SSC South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group (SAsISG),
    • Department of Zoology, Bharathiar University,
    • Zoo Outreach Organisation (ZOO) and
    • Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD)
    Held at Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

    Key Theme

    Local community conservation meeting Asian Lepidoptera conservation needs

    Focal Areas:

    • investigate the use of iconic / endemic flagship Lepidoptera species to promote habitat conservation through community involvement;
    • assess priority areas / communities for Lepidoptera conservation initiatives at the local level that has global conservation impact;
    • provide tools for species status assessment;
    • train participants in moth and butterfly identification skills
    • explore aspects of moth and butterfly conservation ecology, management and needs; and
    • promote public education featuring these useful and charismatic insects.

    ALCS #4 - June 2012

    Organised and hosted by

    College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin

    Key Theme

    Lepidoptera in changing environments

    Focal Areas:

    • Responses of Lepidoptera to environmental pressures
    • Protection of rare and endangered Lepidoptera
    • The role and importance of Nature Reserves in protecting endangered Lepidoptera
    • The role of ecotourism in ex situ rearing of endangered Lepidoptera for their conservation
    • Taxonomy & nomenclature of Lepidoptera

    ALCS #5 - December 2018

    Organised and hosted by

    The University of Hong Kong
    in collaboration with the Environmental Association (a Hong Kong based environmental non-government organisation that manages Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve, Tai Po, Hong Kong)

    Key Theme

    Impacts of Climate Change on Asian Lepidoptera

    Focal Areas:

    • Lepidopteran Diversity in Asia
    • The Responses of Lepidoptera to Varying Climate
    • Lepidoptera Conservation
    • Effects of Human Activities on Butterfly Conservation
    		 LINKS

    ALCS #6 - September 2019

    Organised by

    Zoological Survey of India
    in collaboration with The Association of Entomologists (headquartered at the Punjabi Univeristy, Patiala, Punjab, India)

    Key Themes

    Lepidoptera Diveristy and its benefits of Mankind
    Mainstreaming Conservation awareness and Action

    Content:

    • Field Workshops at Dalma Wildlife Sanctury, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand; 17-19 September
    • 9 Plenary Lectures, 31 Oral Presentations and 49 Poster Presentations; 20-21 September
    • Key Speaker visits to Kolkata Ecopark Butterfly Garden and Sundaban Tiger Reserve


    		 Abstracts booklet cover
    (hoping to link to the booklet soon)

    ALCS #7 - maybe September 2024

    Organised by

    University of Malaysia, Sabah
    in collaboration with Sabah Parks

    Key Themes

    Pollination Ecology for Lepidoptera
    Impact of Light Pollution on Nocturnal Pollinators
    Lepidoptera Conservation in Borneo

    Content:

    • Field Workshops (venue t.b.a.)
    • Plenary Lectures, Oral Presentations and Poster Presentations

    The 7th ALCS was scheduled to be held in September 2020, but has been delayed due to covid restrictions in Asia.
    Work is resuming to arrange a rescheduled symposium on the same key themes


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    © R. C. Kendrick, 2023
    page created on 12th July 2023