Dr. Richard S. Peigler
Ric Peigler is an Associate Professor of Biology at UIW. He received his B.S. in 1973 in Horticulture from Clemson University, his M.A. in 1975 in Agricultural Education from Clemson, and he earned his Ph.D. in 1983 in Entomology from Texas A&M University.
Dr. Peigler teaches Diversity of Life, Entomology, Evolution & Systematics, and occasionally other courses in the Biology Department. He worked as Collections Manager and Curator of Entomology at the Denver Museum of Natural History from 1990 until 1997, and since 1977 has been a Museum Associate in Entomology of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. He was selected to be in Who's Who Among America's Teachers in 2002, and presented two invitational lectures in 1994 at the Second International Symposium on Wild Silkmoths in Hotaka, Japan.
Dr. Peigler's research interests focus primarily on taxonomy, phylogeny, and biology of wild silkmoths (Family Saturniidae) of the world, particularly ones from eastern Asia. His studies deal with ecology, parasitoids, and hostplants of wild silkmoths, and he has an ongoing collaboration with colleagues at the University of Maryland on the molecular genetics (nuclear DNA sequencing) of these moths. He also investigates the life-histories of various moths found in Texas.
Peigler was the recipient of the following grants:
- National Science Foundation, 1996, co-principal investigator on project to study phylogeny of bombycoid and noctuid moths ($90,000).
- Faculty Development Grant, summer 1999, to work at University of Maryland on phylogeny of moths.
- National Science Foundation, 2002, co-principal investigator to study evolution of bombycoid moths, a joint project between UIW and the University of Maryland ($313,030).
Dr. Peigler has published more than 50 articles dealing with moths in scholarly journals of entomology; two book chapters; several popular-level articles on moths, sericulture, horticulture, and classic entomological literature; and two books. He recently published a book on Asian silkmoths, co-authored with a colleague in Berlin, entitled A Revision of the Silkmoth Genus Samia.
Journal Articles
- R. S. Peigler. 1976. Observations on host plant relationships and larval nutrition in Callosamia (Saturniidae). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 30(3): 184-187.
- R. S. Peigler. 1977. Hybridization of Callosamia (Saturniidae). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 31(1): 23-34.
- R. O. Kendall & R. S. Peigler. 1981. Hemileuca grotei (Saturniidae): its morphology, natural history, spacial and temporal distribution. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 35(1): 41-50.
- R. S. Peigler. 1981. Demonstration of reproductive isolating mechanisms in Callosamia (Saturniidae) by artificial hybridization. The Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 19(2): 72-81.
Can be viewed here(pdf)
J. C. E. Riotte & R. S. Peigler. 1981. A revision of the American genus Anisota (Saturniidae). The Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 19(3): 101-180.
R. S. Peigler & S. B. Vinson. 1984. Temporal distribution of species of Schinia flying in Brazos County, Texas. The Southwestern Entomologist 9(1): 48-51. - R. S. Peigler. 1985. Zwei neue Arten der Gattung Attacus (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae). Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo (Frankfurt) 6(2): 53-60.
- R. S. Peigler. 1985. Description, distribution, and biology of a new Hemileuca (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) from western Texas and southern New Mexico. Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo (Frankfurt) 6(2): 113-124.
- R. S. Peigler. 1986. Worldwide predilection of resiniferous hostplants by three unrelated groups of moths in the genera Actias, Citheronia (Saturniidae) and subfamily Euteliinae (Noctuidae). Transactions of the
Lepidopterological Society of Japan 37(1): 45-50. - R. S. Peigler. 1988. A review of pollination of Magnolia by beetles, with a collecting survey made in the Carolinas. Journal of the Magnolia Society 45: 1-8.
- R. S. Peigler & S. B. Vinson. Parasitoid and hostplant records for genus Schinia (Noctuidae) in Texas. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 42(2): 144-145.
- R. S. Peigler & S. E. Stone. 1989. Taxonomic and biological notes on the Hemileuca maia complex (Saturniidae) with description of a new species from Texas and New Mexico. Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan 40(2): 149-166.
- R. S. Peigler. 1992. The identity of Samia cynthia and the status of its introduced populations. Wild Silkmoths '91: 164-178.
- R. S. Peigler. 1993. Megamoths. Wyoming Wildlife 57(8): 20-25.
- R. S. Peigler. 1993. A defense of Ailanthus. American Horticulturist 72(2): 38-43.
- R. S. Peigler. 1993. Cladistic analysis of the genera of the subfamily Arsenurinae (Saturniidae). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 47(3): 211-228.
R. S. Peigler. 1993. Wild silks of the world. American Entomologist 39(3): 151-161.
R. S. Peigler & R. O. Kendall. 1993. A review of the genus Agapema (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). Proceedings of the Denver Museum of Natural History, Series 3, Number 3: 1-22. - K. Veenakumari, P. Mohanraj & R. S. Peigler. 1995. Life history of Attacus mcmulleni (Saturniidae) from the Andaman Islands, India. The Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 31(3-4): 169-179.
- R. S. Peigler. 1996. Catalog of parasitoids of Saturniidae of the world. The Journal of Research on the
Lepidoptera 33: 1-121.
Can be viewed here(pdf) - T. P. Friedlander, K. R. Horst, J. C. Regier, C. Mitter, R. S. Peigler & Q. Q. Fang. 1998. Two nuclear genes yield concordant relationships within Attacini (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 9(1): 131-140.
- J. C. Regier, Q. Q. Fang, C. Mitter, R. S. Peigler, T. P. Friedlander & M. Alma Solis. 1998. Evolution and phylogenetic utility of the period gene in Lepidoptera. Molecular Biology and Evolution 15(9): 1171-1182.
- R. S. Peigler. 1999. Taxonomy, distribution, and sericultural potential of the American species of Antheraea (Saturniidae). Bulletin of the Indian Academy of Sericulture 3(1): 1-9.
- Colleen N. Ramos & R. S. Peigler. 1999. Comparative ultrastructure of silk fibers for identifying silk textiles. International Journal of Wild Silkmoth & Silk 4: 17-29.
- R. S. Peigler & E. W. Classey. 2000. Seitz' Macrolepidoptera of the World: perspectives from a taxonomist and a publisher. News of the Lepidopterists' Society 42(3): 93-95, 108-109.
- J. C. Regier, C. Mitter, R. S. Peigler & T. P. Friedlander. 2000. Phylogenetic relationships in Lasiocampidae (Lepidoptera): initial evidence from elongation factor-1alpha sequences. Insect Systemetics & Evolution 31(2): 179-186.
- J. C. Regier, C. Mitter, T. P. Friedlander & R. S. Peigler. 2001. Phylogenetic relationships in Sphingidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera): initial evidence from two nuclear genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 20(2): 311-325.
- Peigler, R. S. & Jane W. Baird. 2001. Preliminary experiments to spin silks of seven species of Saturniidae from North America. International Journal of Wild Silkmoth & Silk 6: 1-6.
- S. Naumann & R. S. Peigler. 2001. Four new species of the silkmoth genus Samia (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo (Frankfurt) 22(2): 75-83.
- J. C. Regier, C. Mitter, R. S. Peigler & T. P. Friedlander. 2002. Monophyly, composition, and relationships within Saturniinae (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae): evidence from two nuclear genes. Insect Systematics & Evolution 33(1): 9-21.
- Peigler, R. S. 2002. Lectotype designation of Attacus caesar (Maassen 1873) (Saturniidae). Revista de Revista de Lepidopterologia 30: 311-313.
- Peigler, R.S. & K.L. Wolfe 2004. Rediscovery of Anisota leucostygma (Boisduval, 1872), description of its immature stages, and notes on the genus Anisota Hübner, [1820] in Mexico (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). Revista de Lepidopterologia 32 (125): 5-12.
- R. S. Peigler. 2004. Discovery and publication of unpublished
manuscript
pages on African Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) by Max Gaede (1871-1946) /
Entdeckung und Publikation bisher unbekannter Manuskriptseiten
über afrikanische Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) von Max Gaede (1871-1946).
Galathea (Nürnberg), Suppl. 15: 23-30. - Regier, J. C., U. Paukstadt, Laela H. Paukstadt, C. Mitter & R.
S. Peigler.
2005. Phylogenetics of eggshell morphogenesis in Antheraea
(Lepidoptera: Saturniidae): unique origin and repeated reduction of the
aeropyle crown. Systematic Biology 54(2): 254-267. - Veenakumari, K., P. Mohanraj & R. S. Peigler. 2005. Life history
of Actias
ignescens (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae) reared on its natural host plant,
Crypteronia paniculata, on South Andaman Island. Transactions of the
Lepidopterological Society of Japan 56(3): 184-192. - R. S. Peigler & Merced Maldonado. 2005. Uses of cocoons of
Eupackardia calleta and Rothschildia cincta (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)
by Yaqui Indians in Arizona and Mexico. Nachrichten des
Entomologischen Vereins Apollo 26(3): 111-119. - Ylla, J., R. S. Peigler & Akito Y. Kawahara. 2005. Cladistic
analysis of
moon moths using morphology, molecules, and behaviour: Actias Leach,
1815; Argema Wallengren, 1858; Graellsia Grote, 1896 (Lepidoptera:
Saturniidae). Revista de Lepidopterologia (Madrid) 33(131): 299-317.
Books, Book Chapters, Forewords
- R. S. Peigler. 1989. A Revision of the Indo-Australian Genus Attacus. The Lepidoptera Research Foundation, Beverly Hills, California. xi + 167 pp.
- R. S. Peigler & H. Y. Wang. 1996. Saturniid Moths of Southeastern Asia. Taiwan Museum, Taipei. 265 pp.
- R. S. Peigler. 1996. Foreword, pp. xi-xix in the book: Wings of Paradise: the Great Saturniid Moths, by John Cody. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. 163 pp.
- R. S. Peigler. 1997. Prólogo, pp. 9-10 in the book: Observar Mariposas, by A. Masó & M. Pijoan. Editorial Planeta, Barcelona. 320 pp.
- R. S. Peigler. 2004. The Silkmoths of Madagascar, Chapter 10, in Unwrapping the Textile Traditions of Madagascar. Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago/UCLA Fowler Museum. 196 pp.
- R. S. Peigler & S. Naumann. 2003. A Revision of the Silkmoth Genus Samia. University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio. 288 pages, 16 color plates, 10 maps.
- R. S. Peigler. 2004. Discovery and publication of unpublished manuscript
pages on African Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) by Max Gaede (1871-1946) /
Entdeckung und Publikation bisher unbekannter Manuskriptseiten
über afrikanische Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) von Max Gaede (1871-1946).
Galathea (Nürnberg), Suppl. 15: 23-30. - Regier, J. C., U. Paukstadt, Laela H. Paukstadt, C. Mitter & R. S. Peigler.
2005. Phylogenetics of eggshell morphogenesis in Antheraea
(Lepidoptera: Saturniidae): unique origin and repeated reduction of the
aeropyle crown. Systematic Biology 54(2): 254-267. - Veenakumari, K., P. Mohanraj & R. S. Peigler. 2005. Life history of Actias
ignescens (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae) reared on its natural host plant,
Crypteronia paniculata, on South Andaman Island. Transactions of the
Lepidopterological Society of Japan 56(3): 184-192. - R. S. Peigler & Merced Maldonado. 2005. Uses of cocoons of
Eupackardia calleta and Rothschildia cincta (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)
by Yaqui Indians in Arizona and Mexico. Nachrichten des
Entomologischen Vereins Apollo 26(3): 111-119. - Ylla, J., R. S. Peigler & Akito Y. Kawahara. 2005. Cladistic analysis of
moon moths using morphology, molecules, and behaviour: Actias Leach,
1815; Argema Wallengren, 1858; Graellsia Grote, 1896 (Lepidoptera:
Saturniidae). Revista de Lepidopterologia (Madrid) 33(131): 299-317.
