Taxacom: Fund raising for taxonomic study

[John Grehan]

Below is the text of a newspaper article from a NZ newspaper about an
effort to raise funding for some basic taxonomy of a butterfly
genius because the "scientific funding model in NZ does not support this
type of work". I guess NZ has now entered the scientific-industrial complex
where such studies are no longer a standard option (when I was a student it
was all a matter of finding a student interested in a taxonomic topic, not
so much an issue of finding money). I guess such antiquated approaches are
now discarded. Anyway, I thought the general scope might be of interest to
taxonomists interested in issues like this. I have a scan of the original
article should anyone want that.

Nicholas Boyack,

A group of butterfly experts is trying to unravel the mystery of the copper
butterfly.

So little is known about this New Zealand butterfly, which some experts
fear is facing extinction, it is not even known how many varieties there
are. Coppers are grouped into four scientifically named species but there
could be more than 20 individual species within these groups.

To fill the void, a group of butterfly experts and enthusiasts formed the
Butterfly Discovery Project to fund a PhD student to try to help solve the
mystery of the copper butterfly.

Copper butterflies were first identified during Captain Cook's Endevour
voyage.

Butterflies that had been collected were sold to a specimen trader on
arrival in London. Only a painting by William Jones in 1775 ? known as an
iconotype ? was used to identify the butterfly and no original specimens
have ever been located.

The result is that most copper butterflies have been grouped together as
just 'common coppers' when there may be many more.

Dr. George Gibbs, a retired professor from Victoria University of
Wellington, has studied butterflies for more than 50 years, including a new
extinct ringlet population near his Eastbourne home.

There were many factors contributing to the loss of butterflies, including
habitat loss, the use of poisons, and introduced pests like the German
wasp, he said.

In order to study copperbutterfllies they first need to be properly
identified and named, using scientific methods including DNA.

Native butterflies did not enjoy the high profile New Zealand birds facing
extinction such as the takah? and k?k?p? had, Gibbs said.

New Zealanders hardly ever see butterflies, and Gibbs said that had also
reflected in the amount of scientific interest coppers attracted.

Although there had been local extinctions, due to habitat loss, Gibbs said
it was not clear if coppers were facing total extinction.

Project manager said it was hard to save a species, when it did not even
have a scientific name.

?Sadly, the scientific funding model in NZ does not support this type of
work so we must raise money through crowdfunding, just to be able to
identify and name our important fauna.?

Once that work had been done, the coppers could be included in national
conservation programmes with the Department of Conservation.

?Some of our coppers are extinct already, or on the edge of extinction.?
said Dr. Robert Hoare of Mannaaki Whenua Landcare Research, who will be one
of the student's supervisors.

Gibbs has pledged $50,000 as seed money in memory of his grandfather,
renowned entomologist GV Hudson. The project has a Givealittle page and is
aiming to raise $130,000.



-- 
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhepialidsoftheworld.com.au%2F&data%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cc8be504c09274b171a1208dabb57e1dd%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638028283371132540%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OQjuBGp6PqBVogOQMjlmwS3%2FMIzTPjpiTwV%2F5G6%2FEag%3D&reserved=0 (use the 'visit archived web site'
link, then the 'Ghost Moth Research page' link.