What Is the Southern Lepidopterists' Society Website?
Updated
southernlepsoc.org is the official website of the Southern Lepidopterists' Society (SLS), a society focused on the study of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) in the southern United States. The site serves primarily as an organizational hub: it publishes society news, annual meeting announcements, registration and paper-call materials, and references to the society's publication, Southern Lepidopterists' News. If you want to attend an SLS meeting, follow society announcements, or find out how to get involved, this is the place to start.
Who the Society Is For
The SLS brings together people interested in southern Lepidoptera — amateur naturalists, collectors, and professional researchers alike. The site's content reflects that mix: meeting logistics sit alongside references to published field studies and collecting activities. You don't need to be an academic to use the site, but the material assumes a genuine interest in butterflies and moths.
What You Can Find on the Site
The most detailed content currently posted is the announcement for the 2026 Annual Meeting, held jointly with ATL (the Association for Tropical Lepidoptera). Key details from that announcement:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | Friday–Sunday, April 17–19, 2026 |
| Location | Cuscowilla Nature and Retreat Center, Micanopy, about 10 miles south of Gainesville, Florida |
| Registration deadline | March 21, 2026 |
| Program | Scientific talks Friday afternoon (optional) and Saturday morning–afternoon |
| Field activity | Blacklighting and moth-collecting welcomed every night; new moon falls April 16–17 |
The announcement also notes that the meeting moved off-campus because the McGuire Center (MGCL) is temporarily closed for renovations, and that the Cuscowilla site's Lepidoptera fauna was the subject of a 2025 study published in Southern Lepidopterists' News (August 2025 issue).
Practical Resources for Attendees
From the meeting page you can access:
- A Call for Papers (downloadable)
- A Registration Form (downloadable)
- A payment option described as available "on the TLS site" (linked from the page)
The announcement lists named contacts for specific purposes — for example, a Cuscowilla contact for venue questions and society members coordinating payments and volunteer expenses. It also states that a volunteer sign-up sheet would be circulated in winter for meeting preparation tasks.
How to Use the Site
- Check the meeting announcement first if your goal is to attend — it carries the dates, venue, deadline, and downloadable forms.
- Download the registration form and call for papers before the March 21, 2026 deadline if you plan to attend or present.
- Watch for the volunteer sign-up sheet if you want to help with preparations; the announcement explicitly invites members and friends to assist.
- Look for Southern Lepidopterists' News references if you want the society's published content, such as the Cuscowilla fauna study cited in the meeting notice.
What to Keep in Mind
The site is an announcement and coordination space rather than a general encyclopedia of southern Lepidoptera. Details such as exact registration fees, membership costs, or login requirements are not stated in the available page content, so confirm those directly through the linked forms or the listed contacts rather than assuming. The 2026 venue is explicitly temporary, so don't treat Cuscowilla as the society's permanent meeting location.