The text below is grayed out because it is not intended to be read. It is a necessarily imperfect OCR of the original and is only used by a search engine.
Volume 55, Number 1
45
subfamilies, the Procridinae, Chalcosiinae and Zygaeninae, each with their constituent taxa and currently accepted names. The diagnosis of the family is followed by a dichotomous key to the three subfamilies of the western palaearctic Zygaenidae. Under Procridinae there is a list of the constituent genera and characters that separate the procridines from other subfamilies; these general characters and their variation are then described in more detail. A dichotomous key to the genera of the Procridinae is presented. Each genus and subgenus, where applicable, is described in terms of diagnostic characters, followed by a detailed standardized description of the constituent species. The pertinent details of each species include a reference to the imago by referring to plate number, length of fore wing, brief description of both sexes, including descriptions and drawings of their genitalia, similar species, individual geographical and ecological variation, and its distribution, including a range map for every species. Where known, details of the immature stages, including food plants, are also given. Every species is illustrated in color. Dichotomous keys to species, sometimes between sexes, are presented. The treatment of Chalcosiinae is as for Procridinae. The Zygaeninae are introduced by a diagnostic overview of the subfamily and the genus Zygaena, followed by a dichotomous key to the species of the western Palaearctic. Descriptions of the various species are then presented. An "Appendix" provides information on the recently described Jordanita (J.)fazekasi. A comprehensive "Index" concludes the text.
The overall design of the book is excellent. The book is well bound with a quality decorative cover. The text, text figures, and photographs are on glossy paper and provide excellent detail. The text is
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 55(1), 2001, 4.5-46
Forester Moths, by K. A. Efetov and G. M. Tarmann. 1999. Apollo Books, 192 pp., 12 color plates with 241 illustrations, 174 line drawings, 24 x 17 cm. Available from Apollo Books, price: 460 Danish Kroner, excl. postage (hardback).
As a worker on the other half of the superfamily Zygaenoidea (i.e., the limacodid group), the publication of two books on Zygaenidae at roughly the same time is like meeting your lost relatives. For those of us that have large quantities of unsorted palaearctic zygaenids, this is a welcome event indeed. It is also a major benefit for those interested in the biologies and life histories of these beautiful diurnal creatures and makes literature more accessible to the English-speaking lepidopterist.
The scope of the two books on western palaearctic Zygaenidae overlap in part, which at first glance is a bit confusing. "Forester Moths" by Efetov & Tarmann is solely about the subfamily Procridinae (also known as foresters), and its four genera and 63 species from the western palaearctic. "The Western Palearctic Zygaenidae" (1999, CM. Naumann, G. M. Tarmann and W G. Tremewan, Apollo Books) covers the same 4 genera, but only 44 species of Procridinae, in addition to the Zygaeninae and Chalcosiinae. In fact, one might question why the two books could not have been combined because of the overlap of the Procridinae and in genitalia drawings, checklist, and keys.
"Forester Moths" by Efetov & Tarmann, perhaps the last book of the two to be published in 1999, mentions the other as a complementary text in its introduction. Indeed the focus on the Procridinae by Efetov & Tarmann provides more detailed information about this subfamily, including citations of misspelling and all known synonymies and homonymies. It should be noted that there is a lack of agreement between the checklists of the Procridinae regarding format
in an easy, well-organized reading style. The 178 text figures consist of an array of diagrams, drawings and photographs; for every species a distribution map is also given. The color reproduction of the plates is of the highest quality, accurate, and shadow-free. Plates 1-6 illustrate 318 set specimens, often more than one exemplar of a species, at life size with facing pages giving the species or subspecies, sex, locality and reference page number. Plates 7-8 show imagoes resting, in copula or feeding; various aspects of behavior are shown on plate 9. Plate 10 is devoted to larvae. Plates 11-12, depicting various habitats, will put shame to any tourist brochure! The book has been well proofed and I could spot only smaller errors (misspelling of Somabrachyidae (p. 14), alkaloids (p. 15) and food plants (p. 16)). The only distraction is that the entry for the last species ends in mid-sentence (p. 262), interrupted by the plates, to continue on p. 288; the plates could have been bound following p. 290.
This book is beautifully produced and reasonably priced. Its comprehensive treatment resulting from the combination of authoritative authorship and editorial care guarantee that this work will be the standard reference on the zygaenid fauna of the western Palaearctic for many decades to come. This book should not only be on the bookshelf of lepidopterists, but it will also be of interest to students of biogeography and evolutionary history of Lepidoptera and other insects from a highly interesting faunistic region. I recommend this book enthusiastically
Henk Geertsema, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag XI, 7602, Matieland, South Africa
and inclusion of taxa. Efetov & Tarmann separate the subgenera into species groups and have subspecies, whereas Naumann et al. does not. The discrepancy between the procridine species included (63 in Efetov & Tarmann and 44 in Naumann et al.) between the two books is in part due to the covered region and primarily concerns the genus Adscita Retzius. Naumann et al. only contains species from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa to the Urals, including Turkey, Transcaucasia and Caucasus, but Efetov & Tarmann, in addition, include species from northern Iran and some countries east of the Caspian Sea of "the western and central parts of Asia (i.e., the western and central Palaearctis)."
"Forester Moths" begins with a concise introduction and definition of the Procridinae. This is followed by an intriguing chapter (III) on the characters of the subfamily including a chart and associated illustrations that review the broad variation of dorsal and subdorsal setae on the first abdominal segment in first instar larvae. This is reminiscent of the broad variation found within the entire limacodid group (Epstein, M. E. 1996. Revision and phylogeny of the limacodid-group families, with evolutionary studies on slug caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea), Smithsonian Contributions to Zooology, 582). Next is a review of the chromosomal numbers in the subgenera. The final part Chapter III includes a novel character combination diagram and table, which divides the forester genera or subgenera into groups based on shared characters of adult and immature stages. These include biological (e.g,, host plants, diapause stage) and chromosomal information, in addition to morphological data. There is also a similar table for genera and host plant families. These tables serve as a concise way to organize information on these genera, although do not necessarily reflect the relationships between the
46
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
forester moths. Chapter IV on phylogenetic relationships, while centering on the palaearctic genera of Procridinae, provides a useful review for future workers on the worldwide fauna.
Chapter V is a checklist where each species is numbered and corresponds to the species numbers in the next chapter, the systematic catalogue. The text is very telegraphic in the catalogue, but there is detailed information on the types (localities and place of deposition) and host plants. I applaud the authors who took care of nomenclatural business by designating 17 lectotypes. Distributional information is provided, but according to the authors, maps are forthcoming in an atlas which will complement the text. Two new subgenera, Tremewa-nia and Procrita, are also described.
In the next chapter (VII), the authors have chosen to replace the usual descriptions of taxa with keys to genera and species, and provide large numbers of illustrations of key taxonomic characters, especially of the genitalia in Chapter VIII. These two chapters might have been more logically placed before the systematic catalogue, but this is only a minor inconvenience. Sadly, these excellent illustrations will be the last by V. V. Kislovsky who died during a heart operation at age 24, shortly before the book was published.
The penultimate chapter is on the immature stages and life histories of six species in the genera Jordanita Verity and Adscita. These include observations of the adults and biotype where the species occur, along with detailed life history information on the immature stages, with color photographs of each in the back of the book. The final chapter presents a table of new parasitic records based
on host identification by the authors and parasitic information by specialists for each group.
The book is made up of rag type paper, which has the disadvantage of having somewhat dull images for the color plates and taking up more space on your shelf than glossy paper for the same number of pages. In the back of the book are seven plates. The first five plates contain 130 paintings by N. V Dyadenko of all included forester species shown at 2x natural size. This is followed by a plate with photographs of 16 of the 17 lectotypes designated in this book along with early stages and adults in natural settings of Theresiminia Strand, Rhagades, and Jordanita. The figure of the lectotype of Ino pauper a Christoph would have benefited from a lighter background. The next two plates correspond to the life history information of Jordanita and Adscita, mentioned above. These are followed by a plate of beautiful zygaenid host plant photographs and three plates of scenic photographs illustrating the diverse biotypes of foresters of the western palaearctic.
I recommend both books on western palaearctic Zygaenidae for serious study, because it is clear that you would be missing a great deal of useful information on this group by owning just one of them.
Marc E. Epstein, Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560-0105
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 55(1), 2001, 47-50
EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE JOURNAL Carla M. Penz, Editor
Department of Invertebrate Zoology,
Milwaukee Public Museum,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233 USA
flea@mpm.edu
Phil DeVries, Book Review Editor
Center for Biodiversity Studies,
Milwaukee Public Museum,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233 USA
pjd@mpm.edu
Associate Editors:
Gerardo Lamas (Peru), Kenelm W. Philip (USA), Robert K. Robbins (USA), Felix Sperling (Canada), David L. Wagner (USA), Christer Wiklund (Sweden)
INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS
The Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society is a quarterly publication by the Lepidopterists' Society. Contributions to the Journal may address any aspect of Lepidoptera study, including systematics, natural history, behavior, ecology, distribution, biogeography, and evolution. Categories are Articles, Profiles, General Notes, Technical Comments, Book Reviews, Obituaries, Feature Photographs, and Cover Illustrations. Obituaries must be authorized by the president of the Society. Requirements for Feature Photographs and Cover Illustrations are in volume 42(2):111.
Send Journal submissions to the editor at the above address (or electronically to: flea@mpm.edu). Contributors should feel free to recommend one or two reviewers upon submission of their manuscript. Send requests to review books for the Journal and book review manuscripts to Phil DeVries at the above address (or electronically to: pjd@mpm.edu). Short manuscripts concerning new state records, current events, and notices should be sent to the News, Phil Schappert, Dept. Zoology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA (or electronically to: philjs@mail.utexas.edu). Specific instructions for electronic submissions appear below.
General Manuscript Guidelines
Submit manuscripts in triplicate, typewritten, entirely double-spaced, with wide margins, on one side only of white letter-sized paper. Use a legible typeface (preferably a serif font) to allow for easy identification of letters and numbers (e.g., number 1, lower case L, and upper case I). Do not break words
with hyphenation at the right margin of the page. Do not use right justification. Number pages in the upper right corner.
When submitting hardcopies of the manuscript via regular mail, submit them flat, not folded. Submit original illustrations only after the manuscript has been revised and accepted. Authors should provide a diskette or electronic copy of the final accepted manuscript in a standard PC or Macintosh-based word processing format. Submit original illustrations either in mounted or electronic form.
When submitting electronically, attach a standard PC or Macintosh-based word processing file, or a PDF file, to your letter of submission via email. If your word processing files include symbols such as 6 9 |i a ± ®, or special table formats, please submit one hard-copy via regular mail. Contributors can also send scanned figures electronically. Upon receipt, the editor will check your files for problems of incompatibility between computer applications or systems. Electronic submission expedites revision and publication, and it is strongly recommended.
Articles, Profiles, and Technical Comments
Organize articles, profiles, and technical comments as follows: title page (page 1), abstract and key words page (page 2), text (pages 3 +), acknowledgments page (numbered), literature cited pages (numbered), tables (numbering optional), explanation of figures (numbering optional), and copies of figures (page numbers not recommended).
Title page. The title page should include the manuscript title, author s name, affiliation, and full address,