Southern Lepidopterists Society and Association for Tropical Lepidoptera 2025 Annual Meeting

Annual Meeting Program

(These forms require a PDF reader like the free Adobe Reader.)

THURSDAY, 24 April

4:00 – 11:00: Reception and evening collecting. Cuscowilla Nature Center. Meet in Lodge building. Light snacks available. Set up traps to leave overnight. Light sheets may be set up and tended until 11 pm. Some electrical outlets available for sheets.

FRIDAY, 25 April

8:00 – 11:55: Morning Session. 1031 Steinmetz Hall (UF Entomology/Nematology Bldg.).

12:00-12:55: Lunch.   (Pizza & Veggie trays, soft drinks) NATL pavilion.

1:00-5:00: Afternoon Session. 1031 Steinmetz Hall.

6:00-10:00 Banquet. Sweetwater Branch Inn, Sweetwater Branch Inn, 625 E. University Ave. Parking across the street, North side of University Ave. at the Kirby Center. Guest Speaker Rick Cech – “A Week in Paraíso”

SATURDAY, 26 April

8:00 – 11:55: Morning Session. 1031 Steinmetz Hall.

12:00-12:55 Group Photo & Lunch.   (Subway sandwiches courtesy of the Neal Family). NATL pavilion.

1:00-5:00 Afternoon Session. 1031 Steinmetz Hall.

6:00 – 12:00: Mothing Picnic – Morningside Nature Center (3540 E. University Ave.) – We have a special use permit for the evening and will be joined by Morningside staff members. Light finger foods available at the screened in pavilion in the picnic area starting at 6:00. Bucket traps may be set up as early as 4:00 pm. Communal sheets will be set up in the vicinity of the pavilion. RSVP to Debbie Matthews if you would like to set up a trap as we must coordinate the number and locations with Morningside staff.

SUNDAY, 26 April

8:00 – 12:00 Morning Session. 1031 Steinmetz Hall.

The combined in-person/virtual Meeting will be held at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. A reminder that Hurricane Milton in October 2024 forced the rescheduling of the Annual Meeting for April 24, 2025.
Please join us for interesting presentations, a banquet at the lovely Sweetwater Inn with guest speaker Rick Cech, and two evenings of lighting and collecting at local nature centers. 

Attached is a tentative schedule for the gathering. Please note that the UF Natural History Museum will be closed for renovation and our meetings will be held at Steinmetz Hall, rather than at the McGuire Center. 

Please note:
If you registered and paid for the Fall 2024 meeting, you are all set. 
If you registered and paid for the Fall 2024 meeting and cannot attend in April 2025 you may ask for a refund by sending an email to ,  and cc  .
If you plan to attend but are not registered,  Use the registration form attached, Please make your registration check payable to Association for Tropical Lepidoptera (which will handle SLS registration as well) and mail to: 

Deborah Matthews
McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity
Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida,
P.O. Box 112710
Gainesville, FL 32611-2710

Alternatively, you may e-mail a scan of this form to  and pay via PayPal on the ATL website: https://troplep.org/2025_annual_meeting.html

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Due to potential impacts from Hurricane Milton, the combined annual conference of the Southern Lepidopterists’ Society and the Association for Tropical Lepidoptera has been rescheduled for 25-27 April 2015. Check back here for further details.

Original Post:

Southern Lepidopterists’ Society and Association for Tropical Lepidoptera Joint Conference is one month away!

The combined meeting will also commemorate the McGuire Center’s 20th anniversary.

Please find attached Call for Papers and Registration. 

Thursday, October 10  – Sunday, October 13, 2024  Gainesville, Florida

Thursday  

• 4:00 – 5:00 PM   Registration at McGuire Center  

Friday

• 8:00 AM. – 9:00 AM   Registration;
• 9:00 AM Presentations at McGuire Center
• 6:00 PM  Annual Banquet at Sweetwater Branch Inn. 
• Renowned butterfly photographer Rick Cech will be our Keynote speaker.

Saturday    

• 8:00 AM  Presentations at McGuire Center                 
• 4:00 PM  Picnic and mothing at Morningside Nature Center (see details below)

Sunday      

• 8:00 AM. – noon  Presentations at McGuire Center
  

Saturday Picnic & Mothing  – 

Morningside Nature Center, east of Gainesville (3540 E. University Ave., Gainesville)

• 4:00 PM  ATL-SLS ‘Mothing workshop’
• 6:00-7:00 PM – Buffet-style picnic dinner at Morningside’s Pavilion
• Dusk until midnight – Mothing!!  Attendees are encouraged to bring moth lighting, photography,  and collecting gear. 

LODGING RECOMMENDATIONS

Hilton UF Conference Center – A block of rooms is being held for ATL-SLS meeting attendees at the Hilton UF, directly across the street from the McGuire Center.  5 ‘double queen’ & 5 ‘standard king’ rooms; nightly rate quoted, $169. USD/night (for up to 4 nights, e.g., arrive Oct.10, depart Oct.14).  ‘booking link‘ for making individual reservations is <https://group.hilton.com/2ip6v1>, rooms are held under ‘Lepidopterists’ Society‘.   Contact person at Hilton UF is Christina Rodenwoldt (<>), Tel.: +1 (352) 384-3412.

Sweetwater Branch Inn – This beautiful site, with easily-accessed rooms, is located east of the main UF campus. The Inn offers free shuttle service to and from the McGuire Center.   https://sweetwaterinn.com/accommodations-gainesville-fl 

In addition, there are many Airbnb and other hotel options in the Gainesville area. Hope to see you soon!

Laura Gaudette

Secretary, SLS

Due to potential impacts from Hurricane Milton, the combined annual conference of the Southern Lepidopterists’ Society and the Association for Tropical Lepidoptera has been rescheduled for 25-27 April 2015. Check back here for further details.

Original Post:

The combined in-person/virtual Annual Meeting will be held at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, 11-13 October 2024, with presentations Friday, Saturday morning and afternoon and Sunday morning. The banquet will be held Friday evening. 

Linked here are the Registration Form and Call for Abstracts.

Please make your registration check payable to Association for Tropical Lepidoptera (which will handle SLS registration as well) and mail to: Deborah Matthews, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112710, Gainesville, FL 32611-2710. Alternatively, you may e-mail a scan of this form to  and pay via PayPal on the ATL website: https://troplep.org/2024_annual_meeting.html. 

Lodging: Links for hotel reservations at the Hilton UF Conference Center and Sweetwater Branch Inn are also available on the ATL website.