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Butterflies of Vietnam and their role in tropical nature conservation

Pham Nhat Tan

Butterflies are the most common invertebrate targets of terrestrial conservation efforts. A handful of species are threatened and/or protected by international law, but the group is especially well-suited as ‘ecological indicators’ of ecosystem health and habitat disturbance. Using butterflies as indicators requires confident identification and understanding of their biology. Unfortunately, this knowledge is rare, particularly in tropical, high-diversity countries, including Vietnam. The successful intern will learn about the biology, systematics, and identification of tropical butterflies to train them for a career in biodiversity discovery and conservation assessment.