D3349: Lepidoptera research in Puerto Rico: Reconnecting with historical legacies to guide future priorities

The Caribbean archipelago of Puerto Rico supports a diverse flora and fauna and is located in a region characterized by complex socio-economic and environmental change. The diversity of entomofauna across Puerto Rico has received considerable attention in wide scale research over the last century, with particular emphasis on the order Lepidoptera as the subject of substantial taxonomic and ecological surveys. However, much of this work is incomplete, outdated, or has been obscured in the gray literature. Thus, our primary objectives were to contextualize the role of past research in the current understanding of Puerto Rican Lepidoptera and to outline an agenda for future research. We found that, despite a strong taxonomic legacy, native moth taxonomy remains poorly understood, except for a few major pests. Further, much of the recent Lepidoptera research has focused on short-term evaluations of agricultural pests, necessitated by immediate economic needs. The current ecological status of Lepidoptera on the islands is unknown. Therefore, prioritizing ecological research could provide timely insight for understanding changing Lepidoptera diversity and distribution and for conserving this biologically and economically significant group. Greater emphasis on long-term monitoring and digitization of museum collections would be particularly useful for quantifying past and forecasting future impacts of global change.