NMW event – Cristóbal Ríos-Málaver at Altos de Pipe, Venezuela

Cristo with an Ascalapha sp. moth (Noctuidae)
Cristo with an Ascalapha sp. moth (photo by C. Rios-Malaver)

Cristóbal Ríos-Málaver is a Colombian biologist and entomologist studying butterflies and beetles of the family Lucanidae in the neotropical highlands of Venezuela. Cristo has also conducted several studies on biodiversity of butterflies in the Central Cordillera of Colombia, examining the patterns of species richness in riparian forests and changes in species of butterflies along altitude gradients near his hometown, Manizales-Caldas, Colombia.

Cristo with a trap which he will bait to attract moths. (photo by C. Rios-Malaver)

During National Moth Week, Cristo will use traps baited with rotting fruit, which he will place inside and outside the cloud forest at 1,650 meters of elevation in the town of Altos de Pipe, Miranda, Venezuela. These traps were designed primarily to attract frugivorous butterfly species, but Cristo has found that moths are also attracted to the traps. He plans to add light traps to his set up soon.

Cristo is currently earning his master’s degree at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC), where he is conducting studies on biodiversity of butterflies and moths in patches of cloud forest in the Cordillera de la Costa in relation to climate. Cristo enjoys his studies in Venezuela. He is amazed by the shapes and colors of moth species, and he is interested in learning more about the taxonomy, ecology and distribution of Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Geometridae and Noctuidae. In his spare time, Cristo enjoys photographing insects in the cloud forest. 

Feliz Semana Nacional de la Polilla a todos!

Arctiidae at Altos de Pipe Cloud Forest, Venezuela (photo by C. Rios-Malaver)
Sphingidae at Altos de Pipe Cloud forest in Venezuela (photo by C. Rios-Malaver)
Saturniidae at Altos de Pipe Cloud Forest, Venezuela (photo by C. Rios-Malaver)

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