Vol. 2, nos. 3 & 4, Sept.lDee. 1988 INSECTA MUNDI 287

Book Review

Glyphipterigidae auctol"ttm sellsu lato (Glyphipterig- collections has been made such that a very complete idae sensu Meyrick, 1913), containing : Hilo­ range notation is provided for most of the included graphini, , (partim). , species As in other parts of the MP series. the work. also and . Diakonoff, A. 1986. In, H.G. includes extensive indices for host plants, Arosel, et. al. (eds.), Palaearctica. Vol. names, and geographical names, plus an extensi'le bib 7. Karlsruhe: G. Braun. Text part, 436 pp.; fig. part, 175 liography. pIs. (including 18 color pIs.). DM 500.00 (approx. The work covers 150 species, although a num­ $29500) ber of these would not normally be considered part of the Palearctic fauna, actually being Oriental, but addi­ This is another '1olume in the extensi'le series tionally there are 13 names used either as subspecies or planned on Palearetic Microlepidoptera (including as a number of forms. The International Code on Zoo- ). The expertise of Dr. Diakonoff, particularly logical Nomenclature rejects fOrm names ill modem in Tortricidae. provides a welcome coverage for the in- taxonomic work and does not recognize their use or cluded species. This is especially true for the previously publication, thus it is odd that the author has continued conglomerated assortment of species placed in GIyphip to publish these fOrm names tor several specit'is induded terigidae by E. Meyrick and the fact that until recently in these families and also continues to maintain the this classification '"''as followed by most works on the names in the present "vorl<. The coverage does not in Palearctic fauna. The previous concept of Glyphipterig- clude any new taxa, since a number of new species, as idae has been considerably altered in the past decade; well as new "forms," were published in recent scientific where Meyrick had over 1,21111 species worldWide in one papers prior to the present MP volume The family, we now have four separate families and part of used in the work is otherwise in order as far as this a fifth family for the bulk of these species, "while about reader is a\'J'are, although Diakonoff oddly did not make 200 other species have been assigned to about 20 other use of the most recent classification in the family Im- families from Meyrick's erroneous placements. This cur­ midae and all species are maintailled ill the gerlUs tmma rent MP volume revises and illustrates the Palearctic even though recent studies have clearly shown that fauna of the five major groups of the prevIous Glyphip- several named genera are Involved; an alternate cIas- terigidae for the first time using modern taxonomic con sification to Imma is noted but not followed, preferring cepts and detailed analysis of characters such as to following Meyrick. genitalia, not used by Meyrick and many older workers. The MP series covers the Palearctic fauna and The general format and layout of the work is as understandahly the borders to this faunal region are not flawless as the others in the series. The color plates are always clear cut. However, thiS MP volume IS rather odd excellent, although of water color paintings and not in including about 30 species out of the 150 treated that photographs of the specimens. The many genitalia are clearly tropical Oriental species by habitat and host drawillgs are also dOlle ill very excellellt fashioll alld are range alld ill fact have 110 listed true Palearctic locality well reproduced in the book The text provides a brief records noted in the text. only the indication that they histOrIcal review of the taxonomy of the species and might pOSSibly some day be found In the normally ac­ higher categories involved, their distribution, food cepted parameters of the Palearctic faunal region This plants, and general morphology. There are also notes on situation is primarily found in the coverage for Japan, immature stages and some par ticular techlliques fam- since although the Ryukyu Islands are part of Japan iliar to the author in collecting specimens and genitalia politically. their fauna is entirely tropical Oriental. To in- dissectIon procedures. ExtenSive use of other museum elude these species in the Palearctic fauna would be the 288 INSECTA MUNDI Vol. 2, nos. 3 & 4, Sept.lDec. 1988 equivalent situation of including the Neohopical modem classification of the Micwlepidoptera as they species of Puerto Rico in a work on the Nearctic fauna are currently understood. merely because PiwrfO Rico bappens to be II S territory Notwithstanding my above remarks, I find the Beyond this apparent lack of editorial control, the work work overall very well done and the clear result of con­ will be without doubt the major work on much of the siderable work on the part of the author, a highly Old Vlorld fauna of the treated for years to come. regarded specialist onTortricidae. One final note should The inclusion of five separate and unrelated only be made regarding the excessively high price of families (except for the relationship between Brachod- this volume as well as the entire MP series. There is lit- idae and Choreutidae) in one MP volume is unfor­ tle if any consideration towards reducing pricing, the tunate It maintains the myth that these species still are publishers apparently have decided on a sales market somehow related to each other because that is where of various libraries around the world to recover their in- Meyrick and past authors have always placed them, vestment, since most amateurs and even many profes possibly because of their sirnilar appearirlg bright colors. sionals will fiud the price rather out of reach for their This line of reasoning, however, would surely make a modest book budgets. On the other hand the MP has great disarray in the MP series if continued fOr other been coming out only every 2,;3 years so one could look groups: e.g., , and Megalopyg- on it as an expensive journal subscription of $75-100 per idae could be putinto one volume with Bombicidae and year, but even this price psychology retains the series and (although the latter three beyond the reach of many amateurs who wish to iden- are not micros), since these all used to be in the "Bom­ tify their collections with a well illustrated series for the byces of older workers (!fher than Brachodidae and Palearctic Choreutidae, the included families are all quite isolated in the phylogeny of the Microlepidoptera, making their inclusion in a single MP volume quite unreasonable. In J.B. Heppner addition, the major Palearctic part of the Brachodidae, Florida State Collection the genus Bmchodes for which the famiJy is named, is not of even in this MP volume but will be included in a volume Bureau of Entomology by Zagulajev, possibly with , , and Division of Plant Industry Psychidae, since that is where older workers used to Florida Department of place "Atychia" ( ) moths. Il would be much Agriculture & Consumer Services more appropriate to have cohesive taxonomic units in P.O. Box 1269 each MP volume and have vanous authors responSIble Gamesville, FL 32602 fOr particular families or genera if one author cannot have the entire assignment, thus at least following a