Fascinated by butterflies since his childhood, Christophe Faynel studied mathematics in Saint-Etienne (France, Loire). During this period, he joined the Society of Natural Sciences of Loire Forez and met the late Roland Bérard, who helped his entomological training.
Christophe got his first job as a mathematics teacher in Iracoubo, in French Guiana. He discovered the entomological richness of this beautiful French department and quickly developed a passionate interest in the under-studied butterfly family Lycaenidae. He became acquainted with several local entomologists, especially Riodinidae expert Jean-Yves Gallard, who shared his 20 years of experience on the plants that attract adult butterflies and on the territorial behavior of males on hilltops.
Christophe began doing research on Neotropical Lycaenidae and was supported in this endeavor by professor Jacques Pierre (MNHN, Paris). He published his first article in 2000. After 5 years of teaching in French Guiana, he returned to the south of France in 2002. Christophe visited the major natural history museums (Paris, London, Washington) to work on the type material and has authored or co-authored fifteen papers so far. He joined SEAG at its inception in 2007 and returns regularly to French Guiana to continue his field work.
- Taxonomic expertise : Eumaeini (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Theclinae).
- Field of expertise : morphology, systematics, biology and biogeography.
- Entomological activities : collecting, breeding, publishing taxonomic and faunistic papers, DNA barcoding.
- Other studied groups : -
- Studied zones : French Guiana and South of America.
Publications :
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11 taxonomic articles :
- 16 new species described from French Guiana
- 23 new species described from South America
- 7 faunistic articles on French Guiana Lycaenidae
List of publications
[1] Faynel, C. & Johnson, K., 2000. – A new species of Strymon Hübner from French Guiana (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 105(4): 375-379.
[2] Faynel, C., 2001. – Affiche “PAPILLONS DIURNES de GUYANE : Lycaenidae”. Publiée par l’auteur, juin 2001.
[3] Faynel, C., Brévignon, C. & Johnson, K., 2003. – The Infratribe Strephonina in French Guiana with description of news species (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclinae). Lambillionea, 103(1): Supplément, 32 pp.
[4] Faynel, C., 2003. – Cinq années d’observation sur les Theclinae de Guyane française (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Bulletin des Lépidoptéristes Parisiens, hors-série : Lépidoptères de Guyane, pp. 49-62.
[5] Faynel, C. & Bálint, Z., 2004. – Supplementary information on neotropical Eumaeini primary type material and further historical specimens deposited in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris (Lycaenidae, Theclinae). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 109(3): 263-286.
[6] Faynel, C., 2004. – Les Theclinae de Guyane française (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Insectes de Guyane : Beauté et diversité. Gombauld et al., 2004. SEPANGUY, Collection Nature Guyanaise, Cayenne, pp. 125-129.
[7] Faynel, C., 2005. – Note sur les Theclinae de Guyane (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Lambillionea, 105(3): 494-499.
[8] Faynel, C., 2006. – Le genre Oenomaus Hübner, 1819, en Guyane française (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 111(2): 137-156.
[9] Faynel, C., 2006. – 2ème note sur les Theclinae de Guyane (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Lambillionea, 106(4): 603-606.
[10] Faynel, C., 2007. – Thecla floreus Druce, 1907, et T. melleus Druce, 1907, révision de leur statut (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 112(1): 9-15.
[11] Faynel, C., 2008. – Le genre Oenomaus Hübner, 1819, en Guyane française. 2e partie (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 113(1): 15-32.
[12] Faynel, C. & , Moser, A., 2008. – The neotropical genus Oenomaus Hübner with the description of eight new species belonging to the atena group (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Lambillionea, 108(2): Supplément I, 36 pp.
[13] Bálint, Z. & Faynel, C., 2008. – Review of the genus Brangas Hübner, 1819 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) with descriptions of a new genus. Annales historico-naturales musei nationalis hungarici 100: 271-306.
[14] Faynel, C., 2009. – Un nouveau Megathecla de Guyane (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Theclinae, Eumaeini). Lambillionea, 109(4): 494-499.
[15] Faynel, C., 2010. – 3ème note sur les Theclinae de Guyane (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Lambillionea, 110(1): 9-16.
[16] Faynel, C., Busby, R. C., Moser, A. & Robbins, R. K., 2011. – Species level taxonomy of the Neotropical hairstreak genus Porthecla (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclinae: Eumaeini). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 47(1-2): 241-259.PDF
[17] Faynel, C. & , Moser, A., 2011. – Three new Strephonota species from Peru (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Theclinae, Eumaeini). Lambillionea, 111(2): 173-178.
[18] Faynel, C. & Balint, Z., 2012. – An overview of alar organs in French Guiana hairstreaks (Lepidoptera : Lycaenidae : Theclinae, Eumaeini). Lépidoptères, hors-série : Lépidoptères de Guyane, tome 5, Lycaenidae, janvier 2012, ISBN : 2-9525440-5-0, pp. 46-54.
[19] Faynel C., Busby R. C. & Robbins R. K. 2012. Review of the species level taxonomy of the neotropical butterfly genus Oenomaus (Lycaenidae, Theclinae, Eumaeini). ZooKeys 222: 11–45. PDF
[20] Faynel, C. & Fernandez, S., 2013. – Note d’élevage : Ostrinotes tarena (Hewitson, 1874) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Theclinae). Lambillionea, 113(1): 66-68.
[21] Faynel, C. & Benéluz, F., 2013. – Note d'élevage sur deux lycènes en Guyane Rekoa stagira (Hewitson, 1867) et Celmia celmus (Cramer, 1775) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Theclinae). Lambillionea, 113(2): 141-144.
[22] Faynel C. & Robbins R. 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 50(2): 191-201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00379271.2014.934040
List of described species
Lycaenidae
• Strymon gallardi Faynel et Johnson, 2000
• Strephonota bicolorata Faynel, 2003
• Strephonota jyg Faynel, 2003
• Strephonota falsistrephon Faynel et Brévignon, 2003
• Zigirina palanbala Faynel, 2003
• Ostrinotes splendida Johnson et Faynel, 2003
• Oenomaus isabellae Faynel, 2006
• Oenomaus poirieri Faynel, 2008
• Oenomaus brulei Faynel, 2008
• Oenomaus gaia Faynel, 2008
• Oenomaus ambiguus Faynel, 2008
• Oenomaus melleus guyanensis Faynel, 2008
• Oenomaus jauffreti Faynel & Moser, 2008
• Oenomaus taua Faynel & Moser, 2008
• Oenomaus nigra Faynel & Moser, 2008
• Oenomaus druceus Faynel & Moser, 2008
• Oenomaus griseus Faynel & Moser, 2008
• Oenomaus magnus Faynel & Moser, 2008
• Oenomaus morroensis Faynel & Moser, 2008
• Oenomaus curiosa Faynel & Moser, 2008
• Brangas rambutorum Bálint & Faynel, 2008
• Brangas insolitus Bálint & Faynel, 2008
• Brangas moserorum Bálint & Faynel, 2008
• Brangas neildonatus Bálint & Faynel, 2008
• Megathecla corentini Faynel, 2009
• Porthecla peruensis Faynel & Moser, 2011
• Porthecla forasteira Faynel & Moser, 2011
• Porthecla willmotti Busby, Faynel & Moser, 2011
• Porthecla prietoi Faynel & Busby, 2011
• Porthecla annette Faynel & Robbins, 2011
• Porthecla johanna Faynel & Robbins, 2011
• Strephonota buechei Faynel & Moser, 2011
• Strephonota caeruleus Faynel & Moser, 2011
• Strephonota berardi Faynel & Moser, 2011
• Oenomaus mancha Busby & Faynel, 2012
• Oenomaus gwenish Robbins & Faynel, 2012
• Oenomaus lea Faynel & Robbins, 2012
• Oenomaus myrteana Busby, Robbins & Faynel, 2012
• Oenomaus mentirosa Faynel & Robbins, 2012
• Oenomaus andi Busby & Faynel, 2012
• Oenomaus moseri Robbins & Faynel, 2012
• Siderus nouraguensis Faynel & Robbins, 2014
• Nicolaea salki Faynel & Robbins, 2014
• Ostrinotes silva Faynel & Robbins, 2014
List of dedicated species
Riodinidae
• Theope fayneli Gallard, 2002
• Euselasia fayneli Gallard, 2006
• Theope christophi Jauffret, 2002
[English translation checked by R. K. ROBBINS]