Lepidoptera Course at SWRS

Brown and orange metalmark butterfly nectaring on white flowering pine needle milkweed Apodemia ares - Ares Metalmark 
Courtesy of Laura Paulson
The course is designed for students, amateur naturalists, conservation biologists, and other biologists who have an interest in learning more about butterfly and moth taxonomy.

Taxonomy, ecology, and field identification of Lepidoptera in southeastern Arizona will be emphasized. Lectures will include background information on the biology of animal pollinators. Field trips will provide participants with collecting, sampling, and observation techniques. The lab portion of the course will include instruction on specimen identification, preparation, and labeling.

Two logos:Circle with orange butterfly and red, yellow, blue background. Triangle with outlines of blue owl, green ringtail, red lizard and ant.

Offered in partnership with the California Academy of Sciences. Review their lepidoptera resources and galleries from past courses.

Dates

August 4-14, 2024 

Instructors

  • John Brown, Instructor
  • Richard Brown, Instructor
  • Chris Grinter, Instructor
  • Ron Rutowski, Instructor
  • Bruce Walsh, Organizer
  • Ray Nagle, Visiting Instructor
  • Laura Gaudette, Visiting Instructor
  • Sangmi Lee, TBD
  • Charley Eiseman, TBD

Tuition and Payment

  • $1,900 fee covers tuition, shared dormitory housing, and meals. After February 1, and upon acceptance, a $100 deposit is required to reserve your place in the course. The balance payment must be made upon arrival at SWRS.
  • Cancellation Policy: With at least 45 days advance notice from the course start date, deposits will be refunded, less a $20 cancellation fee. No deposits will be refunded with less than 45 days notice.
  • Payment can be made with a personal check, certified check, or money order, made payable to SWRS.
    • Credit card payments are also possible but we ask that you keep in mind that the Station is a non-profit organization and fees for credit card charges continue to increase.
    • If you reside outside the United States: please submit your payment in the form of a certified check, money order, or bank transfer in U.S. Dollars or email [email protected] to obtain details for a bank transfer to SWRS.

Transportation

Costs for travel to SWRS are to be borne by all participants. As participants register, we can facilitate participants contacting each other to carpool to and from the station.

Application

Please email [email protected] to request an application.

large caterpillar primarily creamy white with longitudinal orange stripes, black speckles and yellow patches on grape vine
Eumorpha typhon caterpillar on Vitis arizonica 
Courtesy of Laura Paulson