Collections Coordinator
McGuire Center for Lepidoptera & Biodiversity
Florida Museum of Natural History
3215 Hull Road
Gainesville, FL 32611-2710
352-273-2013
Email: asourakov@flmnh.ufl.edu
Ph. D. (1997) in Entomology, University of Florida
Select Recent Publications
visit Google Scholar profile and Research Gate pages for complete list/reprints
- Sourakov, A., Standridge, M.J., Rossetti, K. and Daniels, J.C., 2022. Transformations of Atala: Effects of heparin on wing pattern development of the Atala Butterfly, Eumaeus atala (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Eumaeinae). Tropical Lepidoptera Research, pp.127-135.
- Sourakov, A., Zhang, J., Cong, Q., Song, L. and Grishin, N.V., 2022. Erythrina stem borer moth in California–New taxonomic status and implications for control of this emerging pest. Journal of Applied Entomology.
- Sourakov, A. 2020. Emperors, admirals and giants, zebras, tigers and woolly bears: casting a broader net in exploring heparin effects on Lepidoptera wing patterns. F1000Research 7:1842.
- Sourakov, A., Doll C. F., Quinn, A. M., Xiao L., and Anderson E. 2020. On speciation and hybridization among closely related species: establishing an experimental breeding lineage between two species of Automeris …. Insecta Mundi 0797: 1-16
- Sourakov, A. & L. T. Shirai. 2020. Pharmacological and surgical experiments on wing pattern development of Lepidoptera, with a focus on the eyespots of saturniid moths. Tropical Lepidoptera Research 30(1): 4-19.
- Lukhtanov, V., Sourakov, A., Tikhonov, V., Zakharov, E., 2019. Taxonomic Rearrangement of the Erebia tyndarus Species Group (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) Based on an Analysis of COI Barcodes, Morphology, and Geographic Distribution. Folia Biologica (Kraków), 67(4).
- Sourakov, A. & G. T. Austin. 2019. What one can learn from collecting 25,000 moths in one’s backyard during two years. News of the Lepidopterists’ Society, 61(2): 92-98.
Most cited:
Lukhtanov V. A., A. Sourakov, E. V. Zakharov, and P. D. N. Hebert, 2009. DNA barcoding Central Asian butterflies: Increasing geographical dimension does not reduce the success of species identification. Molecular Ecology Resources. 9: 1302-1310. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02577.x
Matos-Maraví, P., Águila, R.N., Peña, C., Miller, J.Y., Sourakov, A. and Wahlberg, N., 2014. Causes of endemic radiation in the Caribbean: evidence from the historical biogeography and diversification of the butterfly genus Calisto (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae: Satyrini). BMC Evolutionary Biology, 14(1), pp.1-18.
Books
Sourakov A, Warren Chadd, R.. 2022. The Lives of Moths: A Natural History of Our Planet’s Moth Life. Princeton University Press. 288 p.
These books can be ordered from the Amazon , Princeton University Press, or purchased at the giftshop of the Florida Museum of Natural History.
James D, Albaugh D, Cammarata B, Field R, Greeney H, Hortsman J, Morgan S, Pittaway T, Scott JA, Sourakov A, Townsend M, Wolfe K. 2017. The Book of Caterpillars. A life-size guide to six hundred species from around the world. (James DJ, editor). Un. Chicago Pr. 656pp.
6 articles, and over 100 photographs in Encyclopedia of Entomology. 2008. (Capinera, J.L., editor). Springer. 4,346pp, 128 color plates.
Teaching
- “Man and Microbes” IDH2930, spring 2022-2023 (will be offered again spring 2024)
- “Insects and Plants” IDH2930/ENY4905, (2015-2023). Fall 2023. Course syllabus
- “Individual Studies in Entomology” (arrange by e-mail)
- Visiting lecturer, many UF courses (arrange by e-mail)
- Lecturer/Scientific Leader, Florida Museum Monarch Tours (2018-2022)
Recent Curatorial Activities
- Digitizing Irving Finkelstein Collection
- Accessioning Ronald Flaspohler collection
- Accessioning Knudson/Bordelon collection
Outreach
- Podcasts, “In Defense of Plants”
Ep. 251 – A Florida Moth Keeping Invasive Species in Check
Ep. 274 – Hollow Trees = Habitat
- LepCamp: middle school level summer camp instructing how to make insect collections
- Junior Volunteers in Lepidoptera Collections: high school students learning to curate collections
Recent Blog Posts
Moth workshop for kids, anyone?
Recently, we conducted a hands-on science event at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) in Ocala, about…
Only bite what you can swallow
Last week, I was about to go to work, when I spotted a drama unfolding on my window: a green…
Coral Trees of Los Angeles and the Moths that Attack them
I have been working on moths known as Erythrina Stem Borer (or twig borer) since 2010, which turned out to…
Varia
- my Twitter page
- video promoting butterfly gardening
- Zebra Longwing, the official Florida state butterfly (video)
My work featured in Florida Museum’s Science Stories:
Bella moths use poison to attract mates. Scientists are closer to finding out how
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are as bitter and toxic as they are hard to pronounce. They’re produced by several different types of…
New book charts the history and evolution of world’s butterflies
In a new book, a father and daughter scientist duo explore the 100-million-year history of butterflies. From their inauspicious origin…
Butterfly tree of life reveals an origin in North America
About 100 million years ago, a group of trendsetting moths started flying during the day rather than at night, taking…
Rare and iconic Atala butterflies retain ancient pattern of wing symmetry
Nature seems to have an inexhaustible supply of inspiration when it comes to butterflies. With over 18,000 species, each with…
Tracking the origin of southern California’s latest invasive pest
In 2012, a crop of California’s most prized ornamental trees was overrun by an invisible invader. The growing shoots of…
Butterfly garden initiative expands to community centers, after-school programs
After being in a COVID-19 chrysalis for over a year, the Florida Museum of Natural History’s butterfly garden program is…
Lyin’ eyes: Butterfly, moth eyespots may look the same, but likely evolved separately
The iconic eyespots that some moths and butterflies use to ward off predators likely evolved in distinct ways, providing insights…
25,000 moths from one Florida backyard show how insects change with the seasons
It may seem as though the same brown moths circle your porch light each night. But a two-year survey of…
Hollow trees host massive moth slumber parties
Unlike social insects such as bees and ants, moths are generally loners. So, when Florida Museum of Natural History lepidopterist…
40 years of friendship, 70,000 specimens: Amateur entomologists donate lifetimes’ worth of butterflies and moths
As a 4-year-old, butterfly net in hand, Ed Knudson set out to catch insects in his neighborhood. Little did he…