ABOUT
The symposium will be held at Serra Bonita wildlife reserve, Camacan municipality, Bahia State, Brazil. Serra Bonita is a 7,500 ha (16,500 acres) mountain located in the Southeast of Bahia State, Brazil, belonging to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, one of the most threatened biomes in the world (only 8% of its original forest is left). Over 5,000 ha (11,000 acres) of the Serra Bonita area is still covered with vegetation, more than 50% with pristine forests [the remaining 50% with old secondary forest and ´cabruca´ (cocoa grown under the forest)]. Nearly 3,000 ha (6,600 acres) is under protection (Reserva Serra Bonita complex), managed by the NGO Instituto Uiraçu. The mountain ranges from 200 to 960 meters in alltitude, with tropical rain forest in the lower parts and tropical cloud forest at higher elevation, which makes the area highly diverse (it harbors 400 bird species, for example). The Reserve offers a Research Center, a lodge (capacity to host 40 visitors at a time) surrounded by forest, and over 15 km of trails. The Research Center houses the Becker Collection of Lepidoptera, containing over 350,000 specimens, representing over 35,000 species, more than 50% Microlepidoptera) (for more information see www.serrabonita.org). The Gracillariidae in particular are being curated right now, and include more than 150 morphotypes. Most of the extant gracillariid diversity is little known worldwide, particularly in the Neotropical region where apparently less than ten percent of the species have been described. Gracillariids have recently received attention in scientific research not only from a taxonomic/systematic perspective, but also regarding their evolution in association with host plants and other aspects including those related to the pest status of cultivated plants. By organizing this symposium we expect to accelerate knowledge on this taxon model by promoting the exchange of unpublished information among researchers and facilitating international collaboration among them. In particular, we expect to inspire students in entomology to engage into novel research projects involving these micromoths.
We welcome applications for poster presentations pertaining to any aspect of Gracillariidae or other leaf-mining moths. Poster presentation applications may be considered for additional oral presentations. Corresponding instructions (for both oral and poster presentations), including those related to abstracts will be available the Second Announcement (September, 2017). The official language of the symposium is English. Nevertheless, the symposium organizers are happy to answer inquiries in Portuguese and Spanish. Enrollment is limited to 42 participants.
If you hope to collect either just before, during or after the symposium please contact the organizers as soon as possible for further instructions. Brazil has specific and rigid rules concerning collecting and carrying out research with native animals and plants; these activities require official permits from government authorities.
