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Continued from page 190: it covers the Brentidae (Apioninae and Nanophyinae) of the British Isles and continental Europe north of each of the five sections a panel of the left-hand side of 520 N. Most coleopterists will know the Apioninae the page provides hyperlinks to the pages contained in and Nanophyinae as belonging to the family Api- that (part of the) section and the root page of the par- onidae in accordance with the classification as pro- ticular part within the section. The layout of the pages posed by Alonso-Zarazaga (1989-1990) and others, or is consistent, using a dark background colour for to the families Apionidae and Nanophyidae respec- menu navigation and green as background with yel- tively, following o.a. Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal (1999). low support for the main contents. Most texts green Also Sforzi & Bartolozzi (2004) treat the Brentidae on the blue background and dark blue on the green and Apionidae as separate families. Gønget has adopt- background, and links are always in red. The use of ed the classification of Thompson (1992) and Kuschel fonts will always remain open to debate, though it (1995) and considers the Brentidae to include the would be interesting to see what the pages would look North European subfamilies Apioninae and Nano- like if a sans serif font were used instead of the Times phyinae, together with the Brentinae, Eurhynchinae, New Roman. Of course, this is mostly fussing about Cyladinae, Antliarhininae and Tanainae, which are detail and when one uses this photographic atlas an- not represented in Northern Europe. In contrast with nex key often, one will get used to whatever font or other authors (e.g. Behne 1994, Alonso-Zarazaga & layout is chosen. Lyal 1999, Russell 2001, 2004), Gønget treats the A truly missed opportunity is the fact that the CD- Apioninae as to comprise only a single genus, Apion, ROM was not produced in a format that can be used on divided into subgenera and species. Many of these are an Apple Macintosh. This would have been very easy considered genera by other authors. for a CD-ROM with html contents only. At least on sys- Book and CD start with a number of general chap- tems with OS 9.x or earlier this CD-ROM can only be ters which include chapters on the taxonomic history browsed, images and html pages can be viewed, but of the Apioninae and Nanophyinae, the collecting and the latter often with errors because of missing images. preservation of species, the phylogeny and classifica- This is due to the fact the chosen CD-format on Mac- tion of Brentidae, their morphology, their bionomics intosh converts file and directory (or folder) names to and ecology, and on their economic importance. an eight + three character format. In Macintosh There also is a key to North and Central European browsers this means that virtually all links are broken, families of Curculionoidea. Next follow the identifica- since the html-extension is abbreviated to and htm-ex- tion keys and detailed descriptions of 134 species. The tension. Otherwise, this CD-ROM is a useful addition keys are very usable and well provided with useful il- to every printed key since it offers alternative charac- lustrations: 357 original line drawings and 8 colour ters for at least some species and gives plenty of good plates with drawings of 58 species (by the late Dr. quality illustrations for virtually all species. Miguel Hansen). In the species accounts detailed de- [Paul L. Th. Beuk] scriptions are presented, together with diagnoses in which attention is paid to differences with closely re- lated species. Also for each species biological informa- tion is presented on host plants, larval development, Hans Gønget, 2003. The Brentidae (Coleoptera) of North- phenology, and known parasites. ern Europe. Fauna Entomologica Scandinavia 34. Brill, At present the number of Dutch species of Apioni- Leiden, Boston. CD-ROM. ISBN 90-04-13663-0. 289 pages, 8 colour plates, 357 text figures. Price: € 91,–, but see nae amounts to 86 and the Nanophyinae to three. All Note below. these species are treated by Gønget. This book is a per- fect alternative for Behne (1994), especially so for those This CD-ROM is the electronic version of Hans people who do not master the German language. Gønget’s book published under the same title, in The book was already published in 1997 and was 1997. The book - and thus CD - treats all the species of earlier reviewed by Morris (1990). I totally agree with brentids (Curculionoidea: Brentidae) of Fennoscandia Morris’ conclusion that the book “cannot be too high- and Denmark, but also deals with species from adja- ly recommended as a thorough and detailed account cent countries including the Netherlands. So actually of the species of this interesting group”.

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Continued from page 236: the classification as proposed by Alonso-Zarazaga (1989, 1990) is given in the left-hand column, to be One important advantage of CD-ROM’s over books compared with the system used in the book and on the would be that they offer the opportunity to employ in- CD, given in the right-hand column. On the CD (page teractive multiple-access tools for identification and di- 25) the right-hand column is missing. agnosis. The Brentidae (Coleoptera) of Northern Europe Since the CD is largely a pdf-version of the original on CD is announced as an electronic version of the book, the most recent literature on brentid beetles is book. And – unfortunately – that’s what it is. In fact not included or referred to. This is true for general the CD-ROM is just a pdf-version of the book, which works like Alonso-Zarazaga (1999) and Russell (2001), can be read with Adobe Acrobat reader. but this will also be so for faunistic literature presenting However, there are some differences between book new distributional data. However, during a quick scan and CD. Both book and CD contain a chapter on the through recent literature I only found that Ixapion var- distribution of the brentid species. Within Fennoscan- iegatum was discovered new to Britain (Foster et al. dia and Denmark the distribution is presented by 2001) and thus now occurs within the distributional province. In the book this distribution is presented as a area that is covered by the book and CD. catalogue, and the presence per province is indicated with black dots. On the CD the same distributional Book or CD? data is presented on maps, which is of course an im- I admit that CD-ROM’s may have specific advantages provement. Another feature of the CD-ROM is that over books. Unfortunately, this CD-ROM does not pre- there are dynamic references to figures, plates and sent an interactive multimedia identification tool, but maps: with one click one jumps to the relevant page. In is a book in pdf-format and should largely be used just the book the species drawings are organised in plates: like a book. I myself prefer to read text from paper and there are eight plates each with six to eight drawings, not from a computer screen. Despite the few extra fea- summing up to a total of 58. The plates are useful, tures (maps instead of catalogue, larger colour plates though their quality is not especially good. On the CD- and dynamic references to figures, plates and maps) I ROM there is only one figure per plate, of full-page size, will continue using the book and not the CD. This with a better quality. However, the plates are by far not publication is not a good CD-ROM on Brentidae, but as good as those in Russell (2001, 2004). These are the it’s chiefly a CD-version of a very good book. best I have ever seen and not likely to be improved. The pdf-file on the CD-ROM still contains some Note: traces or relics from the original book text. In the ab- Unfortunately the book is out of print. But there stract it says that the distribution of species at the are still copies available from several (antiquarian) province level is presented in a catalogue, instead of on booksellers: I found quite a few offers of new and used distribution maps. Also in the paragraph on the distri- book, during a quick search on the Internet. The book bution in Fennoscandia and Denmark one is referred is also listed in a recent (paper) catalogue of a well- to the catalogue on page 247, while on the CD there is known bookseller, that I just received. The original no catalogue and the maps start not on page 247 but price was Dfl.195 (± € 89,-); now several booksellers on page 381. offer it for less than €100,-. The CD-ROM is offered for In the paragraph on host plant relationships, both € 91,-.There is a special price offer of € 86,- if bought in the book and on the CD, one is referred to the cata- together with another book by Hans Gønget, pub- logue of food plants on page 275. The list of food lished in 2003: The Nemonychidae, Anthribidae and plants on the CD, however, starts on page 587. Attelabidae (Coleoptera) of Northern Europe. Fauna The numbering of the colour figures is different in Entomologica Scandinavia 38. Brill, Leiden, Boston. book and on CD. In the book the species are numbered ISBN 90-04-13265-1. 132 pages, 4 colour plates, 111 by plate and figure, on the CD the species are num- text figures. Price € 85,-, but together with the book bered just by figure. However, the text on the CD is on Brentidae the special price is € 74,-. This book, not adjusted to this new system. This is not a big prob- which has the same layout as the book on Brentidae, lem since one can jump to the desired picture by click- can also be highly recommended to everybody inter- ing on the dynamic reference. ested in the group. Given the number of pages the In the chapter Phylogeny and classification two sys- book is rather expensive, even at the special price. tems of classification are presented (book: page 17): [Theodoor Heijerman] References continued on page 288 282 Downloaded from Brill.com10/01/2021 03:13:49AM via free access T  E,  147, 2004

BOOK REVIEWS well when planning next to the obvious birds, mam- mals and plants. Certainly butterflies, sometimes nick- named ‘honorary birds’ have made this possible in the first place. It is thus understandable that this booklet, Continued from page 282: jointly published by KNNV publishers, Dutch Butterfly conservation and European Invertebrate Survey – the REFERENCES Netherlands, is using the butterflies (= vlinders) as first group in the title. However, this does not correctly Alonso Zarazaga, M. A., 1989. Revision of the supraspecific taxa in the Palearctic Apionidae Schoenherr, 1823: 1. In- cover the contents, since the ‘other invertebrates’ form troduction and subfamily Nanophyinae Seidlitz, 1891 a larger part of this book than the butterflies. (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea). – Fragmenta Entomologi- This book is particularly meant for Nature man- ca 21: 205-262. agers (rangers, foresters) in the Netherlands, and thus Alonso Zarazaga, M. A., 1990. Revision of the supraspecific completely written in Dutch. It gives general advise taxa in the Palaearctic Apionidae Schoenherr, 1823 how to manage or create a forest margin in a natural (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea). 2. Subfamily Apioninae Schoenherr, 1823: introduction, keys and descriptions. – way, so that many different habitats are created and Graellsia 46: 19-156. enabling many different species to live there. Apart Alonso Zarazaga, M.A. & C. H. C. Lyal, 1999. A world cat- from the general advice, many example species are alogue of families and genera of Curculionoidea (Insecta: treated, with general information on recognition, dis- Coleoptera) (excepting Scolytidae and Platypodidae). – tribution and ecology in the Netherlands plus a num- Barcelona, Entomopraxis, 315 pp. ber of direct measures in order to promote this partic- Behne L., 1994. Familie Apionidae. – In: G. A. Lohse & W. H. Lucht (eds), Die Käfer Mitteleuropas. Supplement- ular species. Other chapters deal with research and band mit Katalogteil. Goecke & Evers, Krefeld, 14: 184- monitoring and give an example of one site and result 246. of measures taken there. Foster, A. P., M. G. Morris & P. F. Whitehead 2001. Ixapi- The book is amply illustrated and well written, and on variegatum (Wencker, 1864) (Col., Apionidae) new to certainly also interesting for entomologists and con- the British Isles, with observations on its European and servationists (able to read Dutch) other than the man- conservation status. – Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 137: 95-105. agers alone. Gønget, H., 1997. The Brentidae (Coleoptera) of northern [Erik J. van Nieukerken] Europe. – Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica 34: 1-289. Kuschel, G., 1995. A phylogenetic classification of Cur- John A. M. Janssen & Joop H. J. Schaminee, 2004. Europese culionoidea to families and subfamilies. –Memoirs of the Natuur in Nederland – Soorten van de Habitatrichtlijn. – Entomological Society of Washington 14: 5-33. KNNV Uitgeverij, Utrecht. 112 pp., full colour, hard- Morris, M. G., 1999. Book review. – Entomologist’s back. [ISBN 90-5011-167-X]. Price EURO 24.95 ex p&p Monthly Magazine 135: 122. [European Nature in the Netherlands – Species of the Russell, D., 2001. Apionidae of the Western Palaearctic. 1. Habitat Directive, in Dutch]. Introduction and synopsis of tribes. – Crocodile Press, Peterborough, 24 pp. This book describes the 35 species occurring in the Russell, D., 2004. Apionidae of the Western Palaearctic. 2. Netherlands that are listed in Annex II of the Euro- Piezotraxhelini (I); Protapion Schilsky, 1908. – Crocodile pean Habitat Directive. Included are also eight in- Press, Peterborough, 50 pp. Sforzi, A. & L. E. Bartolozzi (eds.), 1994. Brentidae of the sects. Each species has a two page treatment, with world (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea). – Monografie. colour photographs, a schematic distribution map and Museo regionale di scienze naturali, Torino, 39: 1-976. description of characters, ecology, distribution and Thompson, R. T., 1992. Observations on the morphology conservation status. and classification of weevils (Coleoptera Curculionoidea) It is certainly useful to describe the species that are with a key to major groups. – Journal of Natural History subject of laws and political processes and the descrip- 26: 835-891. tions are detailed and accurate and thus provide a good introduction. Kars Veling, John Smit & Vivian Siebering, 2004. Bosrand- This booklet also shows the coincidence for species beheer voor vlinders en andere ongewervelden. – KNNV to get on such lists and the very curious choices in Uitgeverij, Utrecht. 96 pp., full colour, hardback. [ISBN some cases. If such species are used to protect some ar- 90-5011-191-2]. Price EURO 19.95 ex p&p [Manage- eas, then it is a profit, but hopefully other species ment of forest margins for butterflies and other inverte- brates, in Dutch]. equally – or more – in danger, should not be forgotten because they are not listed. It is a fortunate development that nowadays in sev- The booklet is nicely designed and well illustrated. eral European countries, insects are taken serious in Nice to have, but much less useful than the booklet nature conservation and nature management. Also in reviewed above. the Netherlands increasingly insects are considered as [Erik J. van Nieukerken]

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