The Kingdom of the Netherlands includes six islands, three of which are found off the coast of Venezuela: Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Well known for their marine biodiversity and widely regarded as heaven for diving and snorkeling the biodiversity of the land remains incompletely studied. Good knowledge of birds and vascular plants is available but for many other groups basic information is often lacking - which species occur, what is their habitat, are they increasing or in decline? Together with the University of Aruba, University of Curacao, Stinapa, Carmabi and Aruba Conservation Foundation and with the help of dozens of amateur experts we explore the diversity found on these islands, make field guides and describe species new to science. The collection of Naturalis Biodiversity Center is for this a key source of information.
News:
De Arubaanse bidsprinkhaan: nieuw voor de wetenschap
Publicaties op basis van veld- of collectiewerk (vanaf 2025):
Anderson, K. (2026). Two new species of Brunneria Saussure, 1869 (Mantodea: Coptopterygidae) with novel diagnostic characters and a key to the species. Soothsayer: Journal of Mantodea Research, 7(1), 55–88.
Boer, P., & Wetterer, J. K. (2025). The ants of Bonaire (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 169–180.
Bouma, A. M., Nieuwenhuijsen, H., & Wieringa, J. J. (2025). The first account on the spider wasps of Bonaire (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 159–168.
Chen, P., Nieser, N., Aukema, B., Kalkman, V. J., Smit, H., Vorst, O., Speelman, H. K. M., & Veldboom, J. (2025). Illustrated checklist of the waterbugs of the Dutch Caribbean (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha, Leptopodomorpha, Nepomorpha). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 23–49.
de Haas, M. C., & den Bieman, C. F. M. (2025). Introduction to the true hopper fauna of the Dutch Caribbean with the addition of 11 species (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 69–84.
de Haas, M. C., Bartlett, C. R., Bahder, B. W., & den Bieman, C. F. M. (2026). A new genus and species of Colpopterini Gnezdilov from the Leeward Antilles (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Nogodinidae: Colpopterinae). Zootaxa, 5873(2), 321–334.
de Haas, M. C., & den Bieman, C. F. M. (2026). Treehoppers of the Dutch Caribbean, with description of a new species (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadomorpha: Membracoidea: Membracidae). Entomologische Berichten, 86(1), 20–29.
de Haas, M. C., Bahder, B. W., & Bartlett, C. R. (2025). A new species of Anotia Westwood from Bonaire and Curaçao (Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoroidea: Derbidae: Otiocerini). Zootaxa, 5627(3), 539–550.
de Haas, M. C., Bartlett, C. R., & Hendrix, S. V. (2025). A new species of Microledrida Fowler from Curaçao (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae). Zootaxa, 5609(2), 174–192.
de Haas, M. C., & Gaiani, M. A. (2024). A new species of Tapajosa Melichar from Curaçao, Lesser Antilles (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Proconiini). Zootaxa, 5497(1), 133–141.
de Ketelaere, A., & van Leeuwen, S. J. (2025). First report of the parasitic wasp genus Acroricnus in the Dutch Caribbean (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 193–194.
de Waart, S. A., van Leeuwen, S., & Kmentova, N. (2025). Eerste vondsten van de Nieuw-Guinese landplatworm Platydemus manokwari op Bonaire, Curaçao en het Nederlandse deel van Sint Maarten (Platyhelminthes: Geoplanidae). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 407–414.
Devalez, J., Smit, J. T., Fernhout, T. B., & Peeters, T. M. J. (2025). Annotated checklist of the bees of Bonaire, with a focus on host plants (Anthophila). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 135–158.
Felix, R., Vorst, O., & Boeken, M. (2025). An annotated checklist of the ground beetles of Bonaire (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 195–214.
Groenen, F. (2025). The moths of Bonaire, with a preliminary checklist for the Dutch ABC islands (Lepidoptera). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 301–332.
IJland, S., & Verhoogt, K. (2025). New records and an updated checklist of the spiders of Bonaire (Araneae). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 333–342.
Kalkman, V. J., Sarpong, J., van Blerk, J., & van der Ploeg, J. (2025). Bonaire Estafette Expeditie, an inventory of the terrestrial invertebrates of Bonaire. Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 1–21.
Klein, W. (2025a). Maribomba and other vespid wasps on Bonaire (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 119–124.
Klein, W. (2025b). The digger and sand wasps of Bonaire (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 125–134.
Peeters, T. M. J., van Achterberg, C., Klein, W., Sijstermans, L. E. N., & Zwakhals, K. (2025). Parasitoid wasps from Bonaire (Hymenoptera: Parasitica). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 181–192.
Smit, H. (2025). Watermijten van Caribisch Nederland (Acari: Hydrachnidia). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 343–344.
Smit, J. T., van der Beek, J. G., d’Oliveira, M. C., de Bree, E., Wieringa, J. J., Boeken, M., Fernhout, T. B., Mekkes, J.-J., Reinboud, W., van Steenis, W., & Zeegers, Th. (2025). Flies recorded on Bonaire in 2022-2023 (Diptera). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 259–300.
Soesbergen, M., & Jansen, R. (2025). Het zwemmend geraamte Thamnocephalus venezuelensis nieuw voor Bonaire (Crustacea: Anostraca). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 403–406.
Speelman, H. K. M., Aukema, B., Kalkman, V. J., & Veldboom, J. (2025). The Lygaeinae and Rhyparochrominae of the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 51–68.
van Leeuwen, S. J., Bakker, P. A. J., & Neckheim, C. M. (2025). The non-marine molluscs of Bonaire (Mollusca). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 345–402.
Vorst, O., Colijn, E., & Felix, R. (2025). An updated checklist of the beetles of Bonaire (Coleoptera). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 215–258.
Willemse, L. P. M., Kleukers, R. M. J. C., Odé, B., Wieringa, J. J., & Heitmans, R. B. (2025). Grasshoppers and allied insects from Bonaire (Orthoptera, Dermaptera, Blattodea). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 64, 85–118.