education and training
- B.A., Brown University
- Ph.D., Tufts University
Robbins, Robert
Research Entomologist and Curator of Lepidoptera
Systematics of Lycaenidae, evolutionary biology of butterflies, patterns of butterfly diversity.
Background And Education
Publications
selected publications
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article
- Robbins, Robert K., Cong, Qian, Zhang, Jing, Shen, Jinhui, Busby, Robert C., Faynel, Christophe, Duarte, Marcelo, Martins, Ananda R. P., Prieto, Carlos, Lamas, Gerardo, and Grishin, Nick V. 2022. "Genomics‐based higher classification of the species‐rich hairstreaks (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Eumaeini)." Systematic Entomology, Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12541. 2022
- D'Ercole, Jacopo, Dincă, Vlad, Opler, Paul A., Kondla, Norbert, Schmidt, Christian, Phillips, Jarrett D., Robbins, Robert, Burns, John M., Miller, Scott E., Grishin, Nick, Zakharov, Evgeny V., deWaard, Jeremy R., Ratnasingham, Sujeevan, and Hebert, Paul D. N. 2021. "A DNA barcode library for the butterflies of North America." PeerJ 9:https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11157 2021
- Robbins, Robert K., Cong, Qian, Zhang, Jing, Shen, Jinhui, Quer Riera, Julia, Murray, Debra, Busby, Robert C., Faynel, Christophe, Hallwachs, Winnie, Janzen, Daniel H., and Grishin, Nick V. 2021. "A switch to feeding on cycads generates parallel accelerated evolution of toxin tolerance in two clades of Eumaeus caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 118 (7):https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2018965118 2021
- Prieto, Carlos, Faynel, Christophe, Robbins, Robert K., and Hausmann, Axel. 2021. "Congruence between morphology-based species and Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) in Neotropical Eumaeini (Lycaenidae)." PeerJ 9:https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11843 2021
- Valencia-Montoya, Wendy, Quental, Tiago B., Tonini, João Filipe R., Talavera, Gerard, Crall, James D., Lamas, Gerardo, Busby, Robert C., Carvalho, Ana Paula S., Morais, Ana B., Oliveira Mega, Nicolás, Romanowski, Helena Piccoli, Liénard, Marjorie A., Salzman, Shayla, Whitaker, Melissa R. L., Kawahara, Akito Y., Lohman, David J., Robbins, Robert K., and Pierce, Naomi E. 2021. "Evolutionary trade-offs between male secondary sexual traits revealed by a phylogeny of the hyperdiverse tribe Eumaeini (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288, (1950), London, England: The Royal Society. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2512. 2021
- Dos Santos Cajé, Suianne O., Duarte-De-Melo, Jefferson, Alves Dos Santos, Keylla L., Suenia-Bastos, Ayane, Robbins, Robert K., and De Moura Lima, Iracilda M. 2021. "Natural History and Parasitoids of <i>Arawacus ellida</i> (Lycaenidae: Eumaeini) in Brazil." Journal of the Lepidopterists Society, 235–240. 75, (4), Los Angeles, California: The Lepidopterists' Society. https://doi.org/10.18473/lepi.75i4.a2. 2021
- Lamas, Gerardo, McInnis, Michael L., Busby, Robert C., and Robbins, Robert K. 2021. "The lycaenid butterfly fauna (Lepidoptera) of Cosñipata, Peru: annotated checklist, elevational patterns, and rarity." Insecta Mundi 0861:1-34. 2021
- Nishida, Kenji and Robbins, Robert K. 2020. "One side makes you taller: a mushroom–eating butterfly caterpillar (Lycaenidae) in Costa Rica." Neotropical Biology and Conservation 15 (4):463-470. https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.15.e57998 2020
- Gripenberg, Sofia, Basset, Yves, Lewis, Owen T., Terry, J. Christopher D., Wright, S. Joseph, Simón, Indira, Fernández, D. Catalina, Cedeño-Sanchez, Marjorie, Rivera, Marleny, Barrios, Héctor, Brown, John W., Calderón, Osvaldo, Cognato, Anthony I., Kim, Jorma, Miller, Scott E., Morse, Geoffrey E., Pinzón-Navarro, Sara, Quicke, Donald L. J., Robbins, Robert K., Salminen, Juha-Pekka, and Vesterinen, Eero. 2019. "A highly resolved food web for insect seed predators in a species-rich tropical forest." Ecology Letters 22 (10):1638-1649. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13359 2019
- Melo, Douglas H. A., Duarte, Marcelo, Mielke, Olaf H. H., Robbins, Robert K., and Freitas, André V. L. 2019. "Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of an urban park in northeastern Brazil." Biota Neotropica 19 (1):https://doi.org/10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0614 2019
- Martins, Ananda Regina Pereira, Duarte, Marcelo, and Robbins, Robert K. 2019. "Hairstreak butterflies (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) and evolution of their male secondary sexual organs." Cladistics 35 (2):173-197. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12355 2019
- Martins, Ananda Regina Pereira, Duarte, Marcelo, and Robbins, Robert K. 2019. "Phylogenetic Classification of the Atlides Section of the Eumaeini (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)." Zootaxa 4563 (1):119. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4563.1.6 2019
- Selfridge, J., Bachran, K., McElveen, D., Robbins, Robert K., and Ransom, T. 2019. "Pupation Sites and Conservation of Frosted Elfins (Lycaenidae) in Maryland, USA." Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 72 (2):87-92. https://doi.org/10.18473/lepi.73i2.a3 2019
- Basset, Yves, Dahl, Chris, Ctvrtecka, Richard, Gripenberg, Sofia, Lewis, Owen T., Segar, Simon T., Klimes, Petr, Barrios, Héctor, Brown, John W., Bunyavejchewin, Sarayudh, Butcher, Buntika A., Cognato, Anthony I., Davies, Stuart, Kaman, Ondrej, Knizek, Milos, Miller, Scott E., Morse, Geoffrey E., Novotny, Vojtech, Pongpattananurak, Nantachai, Pramual, Pairot, Quicke, Donald L. J., Robbins, Robert K., Sakchoowong, Watana, Schutze, Mark, Vesterinen, Eero J. et al. 2018. "A cross-continental comparison of assemblages of seed- and fruit-feeding insects in tropical rain forests: Faunal composition and rates of attack." Journal of Biogeography 45 (6):1395-1407. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13211 2018
- Cong, Qian, Shen, Jinhui, Borek, Dominika, Robbins, Robert K., Opler, Paul A., Otwinowski, Zbyszek, and Grishin, Nick V. 2017. "When COI barcodes deceive: complete genomes reveal introgression in hairstreaks." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 284 (1848):20161735. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.1735 2017
- Thompson, Paul M. and Robbins, Robert K. 2016. "Allopatry and parapatry in hairstreak butterflies (Lycaenidae, Eumaeini) with uniform male sexual structures." Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 14:53-68. 2016
- Cock, Matthew J. W. and Robbins, Robert K. 2016. "Annotated checklist and biogeographic composition of the Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera) of Trinidad, West Indies." Insecta Mundi 0506:1-33. 2016
- Cong, Qian, Shen, Jinhui, Borek, Dominika, Robbins, Robert K., Otwinowski, Zbyszek, and Grishin, Nick V. 2016. "Complete genomes of Hairstreak butterflies, their speciation, and nucleo-mitochondrial incongruence." Scientific Reports 6:24863. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep24863 2016
- Heredia, María Dolores and Robbins, Robert K. 2016. "Natural history of the mistletoe-feeding Thereus lomalarga (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Eumaeini) in Colombia." Zootaxa 4117 (3):301. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4117.3.1 2016
- Martins, Ananda Regina Pereira, Faynel, Christophe, and Robbins, Robert K. 2016. "Variation of Male Secondary Sexual Structures and the Taxonomy of Theritas lisus and Relatives (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Eumaeini)." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 118 (4):555-573. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.118.4.555 2016
- Faynel, Christophe and Robbins, Robert K. 2015. "Siderus nouraguensis n. sp., Nicolaea salki n. sp. et Ostrinotes silva n. sp. (Lepidoptera : Theclinae : Eumaeini)." Annales de la Société entomologique de France (N.S.): International Journal of Entomology. 51 (2):196. https://doi.org/10.1080/00379271.2015.1064201 2015
- Thompson, Paul M. and Robbins, Robert K. 2015. "A New Montane Hairstreak Species from Central America in the Detritivorous Genus Kisutam ( Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Eumaeini)." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 117 (1):36-44. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.117.1.36 2015
- Robbins, Robert K. and Busby, Robert C. 2015. "Evolutionary gain of male secondary sexual structures in the widespread Neotropical montane genus Lathecla (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Eumaeini)." Brill 46 (1):47-78. https://doi.org/10.1163/1876312X-45032115 2015
- Frye, Jennifer A. and Robbins, Robert K. 2015. "Is the globally rare frosted elfin butterfly (Lycaenidae) two genetically distinct host plant races in Maryland? DNA evidence from cast larval skins provides an answer." Journal of Insect Conservation 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-015-9783-4 2015
- Robbins, Robert K., Heredia, Maria D., and Busby, Robert C. 2015. "Male Secondary Sexual Structures and the Systematics of the Thereus oppia species Group (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Eumaeini)." Zookeys 520:109-130. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.520.10134 2015
- Prieto, Carlos D. and Robbins, Robert K. 2015. "Phylogenetic position of Electrostrymon picoloro, a new high elevation hairstreak from western Colombia (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Eumaeini)." Zootaxa 4012 (2):369-374. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4012.2.7 2015
- Nobre, C. E. B. and Robbins, Robert K. 2014. "Arawacus euptychia (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Eumaeini) is no longer an obscure species." Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 47:73-78. 2014
- Faynel, Christophe and Robbins, Robert K. 2014. "Description d’un nouveau Lycaenidae de l’inselberg des Nouragues et de deux autres espèces inédites provenant de la forêt de la Montagne de Kaw en Guyane (Lepidoptera : Theclinae : Eumaeini)." Annales de la Société entomologique de France (N.S.): International Journal of Entomology 50 (2):191-201. https://doi.org/10.1080/00379271.2014.934040 2014
- Davies, Neil, Field, Dawn, Amaral-Zettler, Linda, Bicak, Mesude, Bourlat, Sarah, Coddington, Jonathan A., Deck, John, Drummond, Alexei, Gilbert, Jack A., Glöckner, Frank Oliver, Kottmann, Renzo, Meyer, Christopher P., Morrison, Norman, Obst, Matthias, Robbins, Robert, Schriml, Lynn, Sterk, Peter, and Stones-Havas, Steven. 2014. "Report of the 14th Genomic Standards Consortium Meeting, Oxford, UK, September 17-21, 2012." Standards in Genomic Sciences 9 (3):1236-1250. https://doi.org/10.4056/sigs.4319681 2014
- Robbins, Robert K. and Glassberg, Jeffrey. 2013. "A butterfly with olive green eyes discovered in the United States and the Neotropics (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Eumaeini)." ZooKeys 305:1-20. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.301.5081ZooKey 2013
- Robbins, Robert K. and Lamas, Gerardo. 2013. "Comment on the proposed establishment of availability of Balintus d’Abrera, 2001, Gulliveria d’Abrera & Bálint, 2001, Salazaria d’Abrera & Bálint, 2001, Megathecla Robbins, 2002 and Gullicaena Bálint, 2002 (Insecta, Lepidoptera, LYCAENIDAE) (Case 3458; see BZN 65: 188–193; 66: 271–272, 349–351; 68: 206–211; 69: 60–61, 281–283; 70: 201)." The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 70 (4):250. 2013
- Sermeño, José Miguel, Robbins, Robert K., Lamas, Gerardo, and Gámez, J. A. 2013. "Cría en laboratorio de las "joyas vivientes" de El Salvador, Evenus regalis (Cramer) y Evenus batesii (Hewitson) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)." Bioma 3:4-9. 2013
- Robbins, Robert K. and Lamas, Gerardo. 2012. "Comment on the proposed establishment of availability of Balintus d’Abrera, 2001, Gulliveria d’Abrera & Bálint, 2001, Salazaria d’Abrera & Bálint, 2001, Megathecla Robbins, 2002 and Gullicaena Bálint, 2002 (Insecta, Lepidoptera, LYCAENIDAE)." The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 69 (1):60-61. 2012
- Robbins, Robert K., Martins, Ananda Regina Pereira, Busby, Robert C., and Duarte, Marcelo. 2012. "Loss of male secondary sexual structures in allopatry in the Neotropical butterfly genus Arcas (Lycaenidae: Theclinae: Eumaeini)." Insect Systematics & Evolution 43 (1):35-65. https://doi.org/10.1163/187631212X626195 2012
- Faynel, Christophe, Busby, Robert C., and Robbins, Robert K. 2012. "Review of the species level taxonomy of the neotropical butterfly genus Oenomaus (Lycaenidae, Theclinae, Eumaeini)." ZooKeys 222:11-45. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.222.3375 2012
- Robbins, Robert K., Anderson, Richard A., and Sullivan, J. Bolling. 2012. "The Nicaraguan Hairstreak Butterfly Fauna (Theclinae: Eumaeini), its Biogeography, and the History of Nicaraguan Collectors." Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 66 (2):61-75. 2012
- Faynel, Christophe, Busby, Robert C., Moser, Alfred, and Robbins, Robert K. 2011. "Species level taxonomy of the Neotropical hairstreak genus Porthecla (Lycaenidae: Theclinae: Eumaeini)." Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (n.s.) 47 (1-2):241-259. 2011
- Robbins, Robert K., Aiello, Annette, Feinstein, Julie, Berkov, Amy, Caldas, Astrid, Busby, Robert C., and Duarte, Marcelo. 2010. "A tale of two species: detritivory, parapatry, and sexual dimorphism in Lamprospilus collucia and L. orcidia(Lycaenidae: Theclinae: Eumaeini)." Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 42:64-73. 2010
- Duarte, Marcelo, Robbins, Robert K., Freitas, André Victor Lucci, Brown, Keith Spalding, Jr., Monteiro, Ricardo Ferreira, Casagrande, Mirna Martins, Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik, Nascimento, Milena de Sousa, and Alves, Tatiane Gisele. 2010. "Borboletas Da Mata Atlântica do Estado do Rio De Janeiro: Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera)." Arquivos do Museu Nacional 67 (3-4):291-302. 2010
- Duarte, Marcelo and Robbins, Robert K. 2010. "Description and phylogenetic analysis of the Calycopidina (Lycaenidae, Theclinae, Eumaeini): a subtribe of detritivores." Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 54 (1):45-65. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0085-56262010000100006 2010
- Robbins, Robert K. 2010. "Four Commonly Confused Hairstreaks (Lycaenidae, Theclinae, Eumaeini): Three Need Names, One does Not." Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 64 (1):1-13. 2010
- Harris, Brian P., Lamas, Gerardo, and Robbins, Robert K. 2010. "Identity of Palaeonympha avinoffi Schaus, a Satyrine Butterfly from China (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)." Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 35 (3):680-681. 2010
- Robbins, Robert K., Busby, R. C., and Duarte, M. 2010. "Phylogeny and Taxonomy of the Neotropical Thepytus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae, Theclinae)." Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 68 (1):35-52. 2010
- Robbins, Robert K. 2010. "The “upside down” systematics of hairstreak butterflies (Lycaenidae) that eat pineapple and other Bromeliaceae." Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 45 (1):21-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650521003751712 2010
- Lamas, Gerardo and Robbins, Robert K. 2009. "A replacement name for Thecla maculata Lathy, 1936 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae, Eumaeini)." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 111 (3):758-758. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797-111.3.758 2009
- Robbins, Robert K. and Lamas, Gerardo. 2009. "Comment on the proposed establishment of availability of Balintus d’Abrera, 2001, Gulliveria d’Abrera & Bálint, 2001, Salazaria d’Abrera & Bálint, 2001, Megathecla Robbins, 2002 and Gullicaena Bálint, 2002 (Insecta, Lepidoptera, LYCAENIDAE) (Case 3458; see BZN 65: 188–193, 66: 271–272)." The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 66 (4):349-351. 2009
- Duarte, Marcelo and Robbins, Robert K. 2009. "Immature Stages of Calycopis bellera (Hewitson) and C. janeirica (Felder) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Theclinae, Eumaeini): Taxonomic Significance and New Evidence for Detritivory." Zootaxa 2325:39-61. 2009
- Janzen, Daniel H., Hallwachs, Winnie D., Blandin, Patrick, Burns, John M., Cadiou, Jean-Marie, Chacon, Isidro, Dapkey, Tanya, Deans, Andrew R., Epstein, Marc E., Espinoza, B., Franclemont, J., Haber, W., Hajibabaei, M., Hallwachs, J., Hebert, Paul D. N., Gauld, I. D., Harvey, D., Hausmann, A., Kitching, Ian, Lafontaine, D., Landry, J. F., Lemaire, C., Miller, Jacqueline Y., Miller, James S., Miller, Lee et al. 2009. "Integration of DNA barcoding into an ongoing inventory of complex tropical biodiversity." Molecular Ecology Resources 9 (S1):1-26. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02628.x 2009
- Gareca, Y., Reichle, S., and Robbins, Robert K. 2009. "Lista preliminar de los Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) en Bolivia [preliminary checklist for Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) in Bolivia]." Kempffiana 5 (1):56-64. 2009
- Robbins, Robert K. and Busby, Robert C. 2009. "Updated Phylogeny, Taxonomy, and Diversification of Janthecla Robbins & Venables (Lycaenidae: Theclinae: Eumaeini)." Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 41:5-13. 2009
- Robbins, Robert K. and Lamas, Gerardo. 2008. "Balintus D’Abrera, 2001, Gulliveria D’Abrera & Bálint, 2001, Salazaria D’Abrera & Bálint, 2001, Megathecla Robbins, 2002 and Gullicaena Bálint, 2002 (Insecta, Lepidoptera, LYCAENIDAE): proposed establishment of availability (Case 3458)." The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 65 (3):188-193. 2008
- Robbins, Robert K. and Lamas, G. 2008. "Nomenclature, variation, and the biological species concept in Lamasina (Lycaenidae : Theclinae : Eumaeini)." Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 25 (1):116-127. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0101-81752008000100016 2008
- Robbins, Robert K. and Busby, Robert C. 2008. "Phylogeny, Taxonomy, and Sympatry of Timaeta (Lycaenidae: Theclinae: Eumaeini): An Andean Montane Forest Endemic." Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 151 (2):205-233. https://doi.org/10.1163/22119434-900000265 2008
- Evolution, Comparative Morphology, and Identification of the Emaeine Butterfly Genus Rekoa Kay (Lycaenidae: Theclinae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 1-64.
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blog posting
- Caldas, Astrid and Robbins, Robert K. 2012. "Climate Change and Extinctions at the Edge." [Blog] . 2012. https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/21134. 2012
- Caldas, Astrid and Robbins, Robert K. 2012. "Climate Change, Extinctions and Edges." [Blog] . 2012. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/astrid-caldas/climate-change-extinction_b_2166748.html. 2012
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book
- Busby, Robert C., Faynel, Christophe, Moser, Alfred, and Robbins, Robert K. 2017. Sympatric Diversification in the Upper Amazon: A Revision of the Eumaeine Genus Paraspiculatus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.1943-6696.649 2017
Affiliation
member of
Other
Location
- National Museum of Natural History Academic Department
