Especies de Hespéridos (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) presentes en el Museo de Entomología José M. Osorio R., Cabudare, Estado Lara, Venezuela

Abstract

A taxonomic review of skipper species was conducted at the collection of José M. Osorio R. Museum of Entomology (MJMO) of the Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, Cabudare, Lara State, Venezuela. Specimens were collected from 1966 until 2010, in different Venezuelan States, by Department of Entomology staff members and by
Professor Luis Mejías, an amateur Entomologist. The collection of specimens was performed using insect nets. A few specimens were obtained as larvae or pupae hand collection, taken to the laboratory and reared until the adult stage. In the laboratory, adult skippers were pinned, labeled and deposited in the collection of the Museum. Skipper species were  identified by comparison with the material deposited in the Museum of the Institute of Agricultural Zoology, from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and by Andrés Orellana, from the Universidad Nacional Experimental del Táchira,
Venezuela. Findings were as follow. A total of 300 skipper specimens are housed at the collection of MJMO. From the taxonomic review it was possible to identify 150 specimens, belonging to Hesperiinae (8 species), Pyrginae (26 species) and Pyrrhopyginae (4 species). The skipper collection of the Museum of Entomology is an important source of information for use in teaching and future research projects.