The 8th meeting of Latin American Scarabaeoidology was held at the Instituto de Ecología (INECOL) in Xalapa and at Lake Catemaco, both in Veracruz state, Mexico, from 13-17 October 2009. About 65 people were in attendance from Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, USA, Italy, and Germany. There were several presented paper sessions at both venues, and posters were displayed at INECOL. Cuauhtemoc Deloya did a superb job of planning, organizing, hosting, and caring for all of the small details that made for an extremely successful meeting. The excellent meeting facility in Xalapa had a modern theater-like auditorium and large spaces for posters on the lower campus of INECOL. A break for refreshments was held at INECOL each morning and afternoon, where a lot of informal, convivial discussions were held with colleagues. At the conclusion of the first day of papers, there was an entertaining performance by the Folclorico Veracruzana with folk music and dancing, which was then followed by a welcome reception of wine and snacks for the RELAS participants.
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After two days of meeting at INECOL, we all transferred to the Hotel Playa Cristal on the shores of Lake Catemaco about 4 hours southeast of Xalapa. The hotel, on the shore of the lake, had a meeting room, wonderful cuisine, and nice guest rooms. Lake Catemaco occupies the caldera of an extinct volcano and is surrounded by forested hills. After the paper sessions on Friday, we met to discuss where the next RELAS might be held. Eider Manzanos Ruiz brought an invitation from Federico Ocampo to have the next meeting in Mendoza, Argentina. After extensive discussion about other possibilities, especially as regards Nicaragua, all agreed to go to Mendoza in 2011. That evening, we all traveled to a nearby finca for some brief light collecting. Attracted to the several light traps were species of Bothynus, Coelosis, Cyclocephala, Pelidnota, Anomala, and Aphodius. We were all treated to a fancy farewell banquet at the hotel that evening, where there was more folk music and folk dancing. After dinner, some meeting participants did their own versions of “folk” dancing to the pulsing beat of loud, modern music. A festive end to very good meetings.