Lepidoptera is the second largest order of insects. Encompassing moths and butterflies, it is regarded as one of the most important components of biodiversity. Here, an updated comprehensive overview of Lepidoptera recorded in Ethiopia is presented, composed of 2,438 taxa in 48 families, of which 664 are endemic. Records were compiled from various literature sources and website databases. Although still being far from complete, this review provides important baseline data for understanding zoogeographic patterns and thus for undertaking effective conservation action. Further research on Ethiopian Lepidoptera is encouraged.

The genus Orbamia Herbulot, 1966 is revised. Two new genera are described: Rabomia Hausmann & Tujuba, gen. nov. (type species: Ectropis ? subaurata Warren, 1899), and Morabia Hausmann & Tujuba, gen. nov. (type species: Morabia politzari Hausmann & Tujuba, sp. nov.). Ten new species and two new subspecies are described: Rabomia obscurior Hausmann & Tujuba, sp. nov., from western Africa, Morabia politzari Hausmann & Tujuba, sp. nov., from Kenya, Morabia brunnea Hausmann & Tujuba, sp. nov., from Zambia, Orbamia marginata Hausmann & Tujuba, sp. nov., from Tanzania, Orbamia clarissima Hausmann & Tujuba, sp. nov., from Kenya, Orbamia clarior Hausmann & Tujuba, sp. nov., from Kenya, Orbamia obliqua Hausmann & Tujuba, sp. nov., from Zambia, Orbamia obliqua parva Hausmann & Tujuba, subsp. nov., from South Africa, Orbamia abiyi Hausmann & Tujuba, sp. nov., from Zambia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Orbamia emanai Hausmann & Tujuba, sp. nov., from Ethiopia, Orbamia emanai lenzi Hausmann & Tujuba, subsp. nov., from Zambia and Malawi, and Orbamia balensis Hausmann & Tujuba, sp. nov. from Ethiopia. The taxon Lepiodes ocellata Warren, 1897 is raised from synonymy of O. octomaculata (Wallengren, 1872) to species rank (Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda). The taxonomical analysis is based on both morphological and genetic cytochrome oxidase I (COI) data. Adults and male and female genitalia of all species are illustrated.

The purpose of this study was to estimate and identify factors affecting the willingness of households to pay for conservation of Washera sheep in West Gojam, Ethiopia. This study used both primary and secondary data. A three-stage sampling method was used to collect data from 240 respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and econometric models. The two-dimensional test model used a method to determine the choice of the imputation method using double limited dichotomies. The study showed that education level, livestock size, extension contacts and credit source positively affected the maximum household’s willingness to pay for conservation of Washera sheep. On the other hand, age, sex, land size, and the distance of the home from the household’s market have negatively affected the maximum household’s willingness to pay for conservation of Washera sheep. Meanwhile, the total number of valid answers corresponds to 122,168 households. Therefore, the mean willingness to pay for Washera sheep conservation was US$ 3.75 per year and the total economic benefit gain from Washera sheep conservation were equivalent to US$1,069,647.23. The study recommends that households be willing to contribute to the conservation of Washera sheep breed by providing the cash. This ensures community participation in all decision making and formulation of plans and policies related to the conservation of Washera sheep breeds.

Background: Recent studies indicated that frequent anthropogenic disturbances in tropical countries are primary drivers of the reduction in community diversity and local extinction of many insect taxa, including Lepidoptera. Biodiversity assessment provides information on the responses of different taxa to these anthropogenic changes, useful to develop evidence-based conservation strategies to reduce biodiversity loss. We assessed the impact of anthropogenic disturbances on lepidopteran assemblages across five different land uses (forest fragments, crop fields, Pasture land, rural settlement and undisturbed natural forest) in Choke Mountains, Ethiopia. Automatic light traps have been used in 16 sites, in 3 sites manual samplings have been performed. A total of 4,559 moths representing 14 families and 339 species were sampled. The highest diversity was obtained from the Natural Forest (269 species), followed by Forest Fragment (174), Pasture Land (148), Crop Fields (138), and Rural Settlement (136). The highest species-rich families were Geometridae (131 taxa), Erebidae (93 taxa), Tortricidae (40 taxa) and Sphingidae (17 taxa). Values calculated for the Shannon index were high, ranging between 4.78 for Natural Forests and 4.15 for Crop Fields. Simpson index indicated very high values of evenness, with all land use types above 0.97. The highest values of dominance were observed in Crop Field and Pasture Land, with the percentage of the dominant species around 10%. Estimated species richness by Chao-1 was highest within Natural Forest (366), followed by Pasture Land (256), Forest Fragment (241), Rural Settlement (233), and lowest in Crop Field (186), with the highest increase, if compared to the observed number of species, in Pasture Land (+ 73%) and Rural Settlement (+ 71%). Conclusions: The results of this study will be useful for guiding conservation management priorities for preventing irreversible biodiversity losses and maintaining ecosystem services provisioning that are essential conditions for the sustainable development of rural communities.