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Volume 54, Number 3
102
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 54(3), 2001, 102
Checklist of the Geometridae (Lepidoptera) of the Former U.S.S.R., by ]aan Viidalepp. 1996. Published by Apollo Books Aps., Kirkeby Sand 19, DK-5771 Stenstrup, Denmark. Ill pages. Soft cover, 25 x 17 cm., ISBN 87-88757-05-6. Price DKK 200.
This small book is a sequentially numbered annotated distributional checklist of the 1486 species of Geometridae recorded from the former U.S.S.R. and updates Jaan Viidalepp s previous list of 1247 species (1976-1979, A list of Geometridae (Lepidoptera) of the USSR. 1-IV. Entomol. Obozrenie, 55 (4): 842-852, 56 (3): 564-576, 57 (4): 752-761, 58 (4): 782-798. (in Russian)). This is one of the author's first publications in English.
In a brief forward Viidalepp explains the checklist represents a personal effort to summarize his own fieldwork (1961-1992) and compile information previously published in regional faunas. A list of included geopolitical regions and their corresponding faunistic literature follows. The short reference list includes 39 systematic and faunistic papers published between 1976 and 1996 and 35 of these are in Russian or German. For literature prior to 1976 the reader is referred to the author's previous published list (Viidalepp, op. cit.). Following the 83 page checklist, two indices are provided, the first to higher categories, and the second to species group names.
The region covered by Checklist of the Geometidae of the Former U.S.S.R. includes the large Russian Federation extending from eastern Europe to the Pacific and north to the Arctic Ocean, the Baltics, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. To present distributional information for this vast and politically challenged segment of the world Viidalepp utilizes an unconventional combination of political names and physical geographic features. For Asia in particular emphasis is placed on stable geomor-phic features such as mountain ranges. Unfortunately the author does not provide a gazetteer or map to familiarize the reader with this geographically complex region. For many species entries ex-tralimital distributional information is also provided with neighboring states listed when distributions extend outside the territory of the former U.S.S.R. For holarctic species, North America is sometimes included in the extralimital distribution but inconsistently so. Many well known holarctic geometrids such as Epirrhoe alternata (Miiller), Rheumaptera (Hydria) undulata (Linnaeus), and Ectropis crepuscularia (Denis and Schiffermtiller) as well as palearctic introductions to North America including Thera juniperata (Linnaeus), Operophtera brumata (Linnaeus), Pasiphila [Rhinoprora in this list; Chloroclystis in North American lists] rectangulata (Linnaeus), Aplocera plagiata (Linnaeus) and Hemithea aestivaria (Hiibner) are not acknowledged to occur on the NozTh American continent.
The geometrid fauna Viidalepp treats includes the following subfamilies followed by the number of species listed (the corresponding number of North American species recorded north of Mexico is given second for comparison based on the list compiled by D. C. Ferguson (pp. 88-107 In R. W. Hodges et al., 1983, Check List of the Lepidoptera of America North of Mexico, E. W. Classey, Ltd., London, England, 284 pp.): Archiearine (4/2), Alsophilinae (Oenochrominae sensu lato, part) (L4/3), Larentiinae (706/467), Sterrhinae (204/96), Geometrinae (66 / 76), Ennominae (488/760), and Orthostixinae (4/0). At least some of the genera included in the last subfamily by Viidalepp and others might be more appropriately placed in the Ennominae but their placement remains unresolved and they cannot be included in a strict concept of Oenochrominae (see Miiller, B., 1996, Geometridae pp. 218-249 In O. Karscholt & J. Razowski (eds.), The Lepidoptera of Europe, Apollo Books, Stenstrup, Denmark, 380 pp.; and Holloway, J. D., 1996, The Moths of Borneo Part 9: Family Geometridae, Subfamilies Oenochrominae, Desmobathrinae and Geometrinae, Malayan Nature Journal 49: 147-326, published by Southdene Sdn. Bhd., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia). The total geometrid fauna catalogued by Viidalepp (1486
sequentially numbered entries; doubtful records also included within the list but not numbered) is comparable to the total number of geometrid species in North America north of Mexico (1404). However in the Eurasian fauna the subfamilies Larentiinae and Sterrhinae are disproportionately represented as exemplified by 253 species of Eupithecia Curtis and 69 species of Idaea Treitschke in the Viidalepp list (corresponding figures for North America north of Mexico are 157 and 26 respectively). Although Viidalepp s checklist provides distributional information for each species, an overview of faunistic affinities and biogeographic distributional patterns within Eurasia is not provided.
It is unfortunate Viidalepp does not discuss or more completely reference recent systematic literature. Approximately 200 species group and over 20 generic names listed in the Checklist of the Geometidae of the Former U.S.S.R were published since L970 reflecting considerable recent systematic effort especially in Asian countries. Species group and generic synonymies are incomplete and only selectively provided. Many recent new combinations, new synonymies, status changes, and revivals cannot be traced using this checklist alone. In an attempt to be inclusive, a number of unpublished taxa are listed with notations such as "sp. n. (in print)" [=in press?] and "sp. n (in prep.)". Even more tentative is larentiine species number 185: "G. nov. sp. n." listed in the tribe Cidariini. The tribe "Hierochthoniini (trib. n.)" appears on page 61 of the list and includes the geometrine genera Hierochthonia Prout and Hissarica Viidalepp but without description of the new higher category.
In summary the Checklist of the Geometidae of the Former U.S.S.R is a distributional list that also serves as an introduction to the geometrid fauna of a large and diverse region. Lepidopterists unfamiliar with the Eurasian fauna and its biogeography can delve further with the aid of the Zoological Record, a good atlas, and the references provided. English speaking geometrid specialists eagerly await additional faunistic and systematic publications treating the Geometridae founc. within the former U.S.S.R.
George J. Balogh, 6275 Liteolier, Portage, Michigan 49024, USA.
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 54(3), 2001, 102-104
The Moths of Borneo, Part 9, Family Geometridae (inch Orthostixini), subfamilies Oenochrominae, Desmobathrinae, Geometrinae, and Ennominae addenda, by Jeremy Daniel Holloway. 1996. Malayan Ng.ture Journal 49: 147-326. Published in the Malayan Nature Journal and also produced in paper covers by Southdene Sdn. Bhd., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 427 figures, 12 color plates. Soft cover, sewn binding, 17.9 x 25.3 cm., ISBN: 983-99915-3-1. Available from Southdene Sdn. Bhd., P.O. Box 10139, 50704 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Phone: 603-4022-2643; FAX: 603-4022-2267; e-mail: hsbar@pc.jaring.my; website: www.edi.co.uk/barlow; Price $26.00, £18.00 (including surface mail overseas).
The Moths of Borneo, Part 10, Family Geometridae, subfamilies Sterrhinae, Larentiinae, and addenda to other subfamilies, by Jeremy Daniel Holloway. 1997. Malayan Nature Journal 51: 1- 242. Published in the Malayan Nature Journal and also produced in paper covers by Southdene Sdn. Bhd., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 608 figures, 12 color plates. Soft cover, sewn binding, 17.9 x 25.3 cm., ISBN: 983-99915-4-1. Available from Southdene Sdn. Bhd., P.O. Box 10139, 50704 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Phone: 603-4022-2643; FAX: 603-4022-2267; e-mail: hsbar@pc.jaring.my; website: www.edi.co. uk/barlow. Price $30.00, £20.00 (including surface mail overseas).
These volumes are the eighth and ninth of an estimated eighteen part series documenting the macrolepidoptera of the second largest non-continental island, Borneo. For the family Geometidae alone this is an ambitious effort. Together with part 11 of the series (Ennominae, published in 1994), a fauna of 1079 species is treated, equivalent to approximately one-quarter of the estimated geometrid
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fauna in the Oriental region. The author, Jeremy Holloway, has been working on the faunistics and biogeography of Indo-Australian Lep-idoptera for decades and in 1995 was awarded the Karl Jordan Medal of the Lepidopterists' Society for his many contributions.
Borneo is an important piece of the large Indo-Australian bio-geographic puzzle that has fascinated biogeographers since Alfred Wallace. In a broad sense understanding the fauna of Borneo requires consideration of taxa that range from Africa to Oceanea, and from Australia to the Himalayan region. Holloway s contribution to the higher classification of the Geometridae as outlined in this series extends well beyond the region to the global level as evident in more recent systematic treatments of the family (see Minet, ]. & M. J Scoble, 1999, The Drepanoid / Geometroid Assemblage, pp. 301-320, In N. P. Kristensen (ed.). Handbook of Zoology, Volume IV Arthropod a: Insecta, Part 35 Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies, Volume 1. Evolution, Systematica, and Biogeography, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin and New York, and Scoble, M. J (ed.), M. S. Parsons, M. R. Honey, L. M. Pitkin, & B. R. Pitkin, 1999, Geometrid Moths of the World: a Catalogue (Lepidoptera, Geometridae), CSIRO Publishing and Apollo Books in association with The Natural History Museum, London, England; Collingwood, Australia and Stenstrup, Denmark, 2 volumes). Of the 1079 species of Geometridae treated in The Moths of Borneo series, 17% are newly described, 11% contribute new synonymy, and 4% are revived from synonymy. The lowland forests of Borneo harbor many endemic species and the upper montane forests are rich in endemic Larenti-inae, especially the tribe Trichopterygini.
Parts 9 and 10 o(The Moths of Borneo are similar in format. The introduction of part 9 is a world review of the family group names previously referred to subfamilies Oenochrominae sensu lato and Geometrinae as well as a discussion of the classification of these subfamilies. The introduction of part 10 includes a synopsis of the diversity of Bornean Geometridae with analysis of ecological and bio-geographic affinities. A brief section offering a tentative classification of the world Geometridae follows. Family group names and subfamily classification are reviewed in the systematic accounts of the Sterrhinae and Larentiinae.
Within the systematic accounts each genus is cited with its author, type species (including type locality), and synonyms. A generic description follows based primarily on adult external features and genitalia. Brief descriptions of the early stages are provided where known (not illustrated except for a few color photos in the plates), larval hosts enumerated, and the geographic distribution of the genus summarized. Particularly for new or revived genera, extralim-ital taxa are listed as new combinations. Species accounts include synonymy, citation of original descriptions, diagnosis, taxonomic notes, geographical distribution, habitat notes, and where known, biology and larval hosts. Recent systematic and biological literature is often cited and considerable biological information is published here for the first time. The total number of new taxa published in parts 9 and 10 attest to Holloway s effort to document the fauna (22 genera, 108 species, and 3 subspecies). At the conclusion of each part useful appendices include lists of new taxa, new combinations, new synonyms, and status changes and revivals. Finally, a checklist of Bornean taxa is provided and annotated with general distribution and habitat information. The checklists serve as indices to the pages on which species accounts appear, a general index is not provided. The extensive literature cited should appeal to the geometrid bibliophile.
With the exception of the first four figures of part 9 (line drawings of wing venation) and the first two text figures of part 10, all figures are photographs of male and female genitalia. Legends are listed separately in the pages that precede the genitalia figures. The genitalia photographs vary in size and are arranged in a loose "cut and paste" format. Figures are not always sequentially numbered. Quality of the preparations and clarity of the photographs varies. Central structures of the male genital capsule and the female sterigma are not always optimally displayed and aedeagi are often photographed without vesica inflation. All to frequently the aedea-gus is not illustrated or only the male genitalia are figured even
when female material was available for study. I confess a preference for line drawings of genitalia but this would be prohibitive in a series of this magnitude. Nevertheless, selective use of line drawings can serve to differentiate close taxa as well as illustrate important generic and family group characters. The color plates of both parts are of reasonable quality. For smaller moths photographic enlargement would have enhanced details of maculation. It is difficult to judge color fidelity without specimens for comparison. Some plates of the green geometrids in part 9 appear color shifted toward blue or show reflections (perhaps attributable to scale wear) and many plates of part 10 are dominated by yellow tints. Specimens depicted on the color cover of part 10 appear crisper and show better color balance than photographs of the same specimens on the corresponding plates.
For the remainder of this review I will overview Holloway s contribution to geometrid systematics in The Moths of Borneo at the subfamily, generic, and specific levels.
Present higher classification of the Geometridae is far from satisfactory and requires revision on a world basis. While it is accepted that traditional groups such as the Oenochrominae sensu lato are unnatural assemblages (see Minet & Scoble 1999, op. cit.), satisfactory phylogenetic classification is elusive. Holloway s proposed classification might best be viewed as provisional, and is based largely on similarities of adult structures, especially those of the abdomen. Holloway appreciates that careful comparative study of the early stages is needed to shed further light on geometrid systematics.
In the Bornean fauna, only the robust bodied members of Sar-cinodes Guenee are included in the Oenochrominae sensu sticto. Holloway revives the subfamily name Desmobathrinae to encompass "delicately built 'oenochromine' genera with elongate, slender appendages." This subfamily includes a number of cosmopolitan mostly tropical genera placed in the tribe Desmobathrini and the monobasic Indo-Australian tribe Eumeleini. Two genera, Heteralex Warren, and Naxa Walker, traditionally referred to Oenochrominae are tentatively transferred to Ennominae with the latter genus (along with Orthostixis Htibner) included in the tribe Orthostixini. The larvae of Naxa are colonial and known to feed on Oleaceae with the larvae and pupae suspended in extensive silken webs. In part 10 Holloway publishes new biological information regarding Naxa gut-tulata Warren observed feeding on a fern (Diplazium sp.); color photographs of the larva and pupa suspended in their silken web are recorded on plate 4. In his review of 'oenochromine7 family group names Holloway concludes the Holarctic genus Alsophila Hiibner should be placed in a separate subfamily Alsophilinae, a decision accepted by Minet and Scoble (1999, op. cit.).
The Geometrinae of Tndo-Australia include groups quite unfamiliar to Lepidopterists of the Northern Hemisphere. Holloway retains the robust bodied aposematic moths of the genus Dysphania Hiibner within the subfamily but emphasizes the distance of this unique group from the remainder of the Geometrinae by dividing the subfamily into two tribes, Dysphaniini and Geometrini. In turn it is proposed, though with some reservation, that all geometrine family groups other than Dysphaniini be assigned as subtribes of Geometrini and given names ending in "-iti" Many genera of Bornean Geometrini are robust bodied moths with falcate forewings or gray and brown moths with boarmiine facies.
A number of Bornean Sterrhinae should be more familiar to northern Lepidopterists with the genera Scopula Schrank, Idaea Treitschke, and Cyclophora Hiibner well represented. Holloway reviews evidence for viewing the sterrhines as two broad lineages (Timandrini / Cosymbinii and Scopulini / Sterrhini / Rhodostrophi-ini) based on characters of both the adult and early stages. He further argues for inclusion of the Neotropical tribe Cyllopodini in the latter lineage, and places the Old World tribe Rhodometrini in the former, at least in his phylogenetic diagram (Part 10, Fig. 2).
Given the absence of many recognized tribes of Larentiinae in the tropics, Holloway s discussion of higher classification of this subfamily is less inclusive. It is suggested that the Trichopterygini may represent a sister group for the remainder of the Larentiinae. Four Australian and Oriental larentiine genera (two newly described by
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Holloway) cannot be placed in presently recognized tribes indicative of the unsettled state of higher classification for the subfamily.
On the generic level, Holloway s revisionary work establishes a large number of new combinations and many new genera. As pointed out by Scoble et al. (1999, op.cit.), restricting the definition of previously large and overly inclusive genera such as the larentiine genus Chloroclystis Hiibner based on study of a regional fauna may strand unstudied extralimital taxa not corresponding to new generic concepts. Holloway both revived and erected new genera in his treatment of Chloroclystis sensu lato and reassigned many Indo-Australian species. Some reassignments are hasty and seem premature. For example, eight species are formally transferred to the larentiine genus Bosara Walker without study of the genitalia even though Holloway admits final placement awaits confirmation by dissection. A number of unplaced species now reside in the provisional genus "Chloroclystis" of the Scoble, et al. (1999, op.cit.) catalog.
At the species level, documenting the macro-fauna of a diverse tropical landmass such as Borneo is daunting but Holloway pulls off a commando performance. Many factors contribute to the difficult task of determining specific limits including allopatry in the insular realm of Indo-Australia, lack of sufficient study material, ambiguous association of sexes, and inadequate old descriptions. Holloway acknowledges that some treatments are provisional. To identify species considerable reliance is placed on brief diagnoses and discussion of similar species. Keys to genera and species are not provided even though this would certainly aid in the sorting and recognition of taxa especially for speciose groups. For many species only the male genitalia or the male genital capsule are illustrated. A number of new species and genera are described in the absence of description and
illustration or even mention of the male aedeagus. This frequently occurs in the green geometrids. Even if the aedeagus lacks diagnostic characters, that fact should be demonstrated.
Access to the enviable store of type material in The Natural History Museum, London, and other European museums has enabled Holloway to place many Indo-Australian taxa and recognize unde-scribed species. Although synonymies are listed for each species, useful type information such as type locality, repository, condition, sex, and lectotype designation is frequently lacking. Unless otherwise noted, holotypes of species described in The Moths of Borneo are deposited in Tie Natural History Museum.
Holloway rejects the stipulation of the Code of Zoological Nomenclature that requires species group names to agree in gender with genus group names and gives all specific names the orthography of the original description. This convention is also adopted in the Scoble catalog for the geometrid fauna of the world, a convenience that I sincerely hope will become standard practice.
1 cannot overst "ess the ambitious nature of the project Jeremy Holloway has undertaken. Borneo harbors a geometrid fauna equal to 77% of the number of species known from America north of Mexico, a fauna better understood as a consequence of Holloway s studies. Lepidopterists interested in the faunistics, biogeography, and biology of Indo-Australian Lepidoptera will want to add The Moths of Borneo to their library. The parts treating the Geometridae are of particular value to geometrid specialists worldwide and will inform and inspire future systematic efforts.
George J. Balogh, 6275 Liteolier, Portage, Michigan 49024,
USA.
Date of Issue (Vol. 54, No. 3): 25 September 200J