For a long time Laos was separate by the impact of the war. Since several years it opens up for tourism although unexploded ordnance especially in the East along the Vietnamese border causes still danger.
In the picture on the left a statue is shown constructed in 2011 in Vientiane at the Mekong. It points in direction of Thailand where more ethic Lao live than in Lao PDR itself. The Champa tree (Plumeria alba) and his flower is the national symbol for Laos.
Dr. Peter Jäger (left) is investigating the spider fauna from Laos since 2003 described various new species and supervises since 2010 a student at the National University of Laos. Prof. Bounthob Praxaysombath (centre) has co-authored publications and deals also with fresh-water fish and their taxonomy and ecology. Biopat e.V. supported the master study of Liphone Nophaseud (right) including a research stay in Frankfurt, a poster “Spiders of Laos” (bottom left) and the symposium “Spiders of the Greater Mekong Region” in Pakse in 2012.
In 2011 Peter Jäger and Martina Schwalbach started a fund-raising campaign for research in Laos. The first event took place in the historic council chamber in Mainz-Gonsenheim on 11. May 2011. Flyer und poster can be downloaded.
In November 2012 a symposium was held in Pakse: “Spiders of the Greater Mekong Region“. This meeting had two target groups: (A) local researchers / arachnologists / interested people from that region with the goal towards building a regional network of arachnologists, and (B) arachnologists working in that region, or with taxa distributed in that region. The symposium offered the opportunity to 52 participants to present recent findings in all aspects of Araneology (e.g., taxonomy, zoogeography, ecology). Ideally, it successfully connected people and developed contacts in anticipation of the next International Congress of Arachnology in Taiwan in 2013. Moreover a workshop at the Bolaven plateau was held with 32 particiapnts to investigate the spider fauna and to exchange everyone’s experiences in collecting, photographing and identifying spiders.
Moreover, the “Asien Society of Arachnology” (ASA) was founded. Next meetings are:
2013: Taiwan, Kenting (during ISA Congress; Host: I-Min Tso)
2014: Chiang Mai, Thailand (Host: Emma Shaw)
2015: Amravati, India (Host: Ganesh Vankhede)
2016: during ISA Congress
2017: Baoding, Hebei, China (Host: Feng Zhang)
We cordially invite arachnologists and colleagues to the first ever Southeast Asian Spider Symposium in the capital of Champasak Province, Pakse, in the South of Laos. The symposium is aimed at 1) people from SE Asia interested in araneological research, and 2) people from outside SE Asia interested in this region. The meeting should initiate cooperations and stimulate research in the region. Moreover, it may be the initial meeting to found an “Arachnological Society of Asia”.
We invite talks and posters dealing with SE Asian spiders or presenting new methods or general aspects of araneology.
We try to make this meeting as convenient and inexpensive as possible. Therefore, no general congress fee is charged. Every attendant pays his or her own costs (flight, accomodation, meals). Due to generous funding by BIOPAT e.V. we will be able to offer a limited amount of small grants to colleagues from Laos and surrounding countries. We try also to cover local transport in Pakse, the symposium room and other expenses with the grant money.
Liphone and Peter travelled in May 2012 to Pakse to scout for venue, accomodation etc. We tried our best and provide some recent photos below. If questions remain, let us know!
Organisers
Prof. Dr. Bounthob Praxaysombath, National University of Laos, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Dongdok Campus, PO Box 7322, Vientiane, Lao PDR
Dr. Peter Jäger, Senckenberg Research Institute, Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Arachnology, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, phone 0049 69 75421340 (in Germany), 00856 20 77609334 (in Laos; or 00856 20 95974025)
Liphone Nophaseud, National University of Laos, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Dongdok Campus, PO Box 7322, Vientiane, Lao PDR, phone 00856 20 98088975
