Academic entomotourism as a strategy for the conservation of lepidoptera in Meta, Colombia

Abstract

Entomotourism, in addition to being a service based on tourism, also includes an environmental education approach towards the protection of insects, the preservation of ecosystems and the conservation of their diversity. With this service, focused on lepidopterans, the importance of this class of insects and the services offered are made known. Therefore, this research focuses on presenting the establishment of a line of academic entomotourism with lepidopterans to promote the conservation of biodiversity through environmental education in the María Lucía Metropolitan Park of Villavicencio, Meta. During the process, through observation, bibliographic search and field work, the morphology, life cycle, behavior and relationship with the host plant were analyzed. In addition, the ecosystem services provided by lepidopterans were studied as a platform to implement environmental education strategies towards communities and the general public. Likewise, visits were made to institutions, in order to share knowledge with students about the conservation, identification and preservation of lepidopteran species in the area, through tours in a territory that covers several ecosystems, as the basis of the academic entomotourism service.