BUTTERFLIES AND SKIPPERS OF SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE
São Tomé e Príncipe is especially known by its terrestrial Vertebrate diversity and endemicity, mainly by its ornithological and herpethological exclusive fauna. The study of the butterflies and skippers (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) known in the country allows consider also the high diversity and endemism of this group in the two islands and their interrelationships with the quite distinct biotopes known in the second smallest country in Africa which under the biological point of view is not an archipelago but two independent islands. The species richness and endemicity known from these two purely volcanic West African islands from the beginning of their biological knowledge are discussed based on the most recent data, analysed family by family.
Luis F. Mendes, born in 1946, biologist by the Lisbon University in 1971. Academic carrier in the Faculty of Sciences of the Lisbon University; PhD in 1983, Aggregation in 1987, both in connection with Entomology. Detached in the IICT from 1985 to 1988; in 1990 Research carrier, first as Main Researcher and from 1995 on as Head Researcher in this institution – director of the Centro de Zoologia in 1997-2004. Retired the 2014. Main research areas taxonomy, faunistics, zoogeography and evolution especially in two insect groups: the thysanurans s.l. (orders Microcoryphia and Zygentoma) worldwide, and the Afrotropical Lepidoptera Papilionoidea, Bombycoidea (Saturnidae) and Sphingoidea. From 1973 participate (always with communications) in ca. 50 entomological meetings (congresses, symposia, seminars) and integrated the scientific committee of part of them. Participate in several zoological missions mainly to Africa and coordinate part of them. Published two books and more than two hundred papers where 220 new species, plus 55 genera and subgenera, 5 tribes, 8 subfamilies and one family are described. Is or was member of the scientific and/or editorial committees of several entomological reviews.
[Group Leader: Cristina Duarte, Tropical Biology]
Image: Living specimen of Coeliades bocagei in the northern Príncipe, one of the rare species considered (for now) as endemic from the two islands (Image credits: Luís F. Mendes)