butterfly diversity query

[Brian V. Brown]

>A question for the lepidopterologists out there:  how do the New World and Old
>World (temperate and tropical) compare in terms of butterfly diversity
>(family, genus & species)?  Is the New World richer than the Old, or are
>they comparable?


I saw Bob Robbins of the Smithsonian Institution give a talk on butterfly
diversity a couple of years ago. He gave the following, approximate numbers:

Region                 # butterfly species
________               _____________________

Nearctic                  750
Neotropical              7500
Afrotropical             3200
Aust.-Orient.            4300
Palearctic               1550


        Obviously, the New World tropics are by far the richest for species.

Brian

__________________________________________________________________

Brian V. Brown                       email - brianb at bcf.usc.edu
Entomology Section                   FAX   - (213) 746-2999
Natural History Museum of            phone - (213) 744-3363
    Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles CA 90007

http://www.lam.mus.ca.us/lacmnh/departments/research/entomology