Philippine Lepidoptera

PHILIPPINE LEPIDOPTERA (PhiLep)

Philippine Lepidoptera or PhiLep was established in 2013 by a group of amateur naturalists, butterfly biologist, entomologist and other enthusiasts interested in documenting and conserving lepidoptera in the country. It was registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 3, 2014. 

Through a Facebook group page and two missions documenting lepidopterans at Project Noah where we have spotters and contributors nationwide, PhiLep aims to (1) Collect information on all aspects of Philippine lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) through research and information gathered from Philippine lepidoptera partner sites; (2) Consolidate information on Philippine lepidopterans and make it available on a website; (3) Provide support to lepidoptera spotters and enthusiasts by providing facts and species identification; (4) Collaborate with various groups and organizations with similar interests so that the information may be used to conserve lepidoptera species and their habitats; (5) Create awareness among general public about biodiversity conservation issues; (6) Motivate people to minimize practices with negative impact on nature; (7) Promote nature conservation through local and community initiatives; (8) Use lepidoptera as an attractive educational tool.

The Philippines is the world's second largest archipelago country with more than 7,100 islands covering 297,179 km2 in the westernmost Pacific Ocean. The patchwork of isolated islands, the tropical location of the country, and the once extensive areas of rainforest have resulted in high butterfly and moth species diversity and a very high level of endemism.  One of the largest butterflies in the world , the Magellan birdwing can be found here as well as the largest moth, the Atlas moth.

Though lepidoptera species abound, the web offers very limited resources on Philippine lepidoptera.  We aim to close the gap on this and make photos and facts about butterflies and moths in the Philippines available through a website.  There is a lot of work ahead of us and our goals are ambitious but we believe that we can accomplish the immense work ahead with our commitment, collective efforts and achievement motivation through our growing fellowship.