VOLUME 54, NUMBER 3

journal of the Lepidopterists Society .54(3),2001, ]02

CHECKLIST OF THE GEOMETRIDAE (LEPIDOPTERA) OF THE FORMER USS,R, by Jaan Viidalepp, 1996, Published by Apoll,o Books Aps" KIrkeby Sand 19, DK-5771 Stenstrup, Denmark. III pages, S'oft cover, 25 x 17 cm" ISBN 87-88757-0,5-6, Price DKK 200,

This small book is a sequentially numbered annotated distribu­tional checklist of the 1486 species of Geome(ridae recorded from tbe f(mner U,S,S,l:{, and updates Jaan Viidalepp's previous list of 1247 species (1976-1979, A list ofGeometridae (Lepidoptera ) of the USSR, I-IV. EntomoL Obozrenic, 55 (4): 842-852, ,56 (3): 564-576, ,57 (4): 752-761, 58 (4): 782-798, (in Russian) ) This is one of the au­tbor's first publications in English,

1 n a brief forward Viidalepp explains the checklist represents a personal effort to summarize his own fieldwork (1961-1992) and compile information previOLlsly published in regional faunas, A list of included geopolitical regions and their corresponding faunistic literatnre Follows, The short reference list includes 39 systematic and htunistic papers published between 1976 and 1996 and 35 of thcse are in Russian or German, For literature prior to 1976 the reader is referred to the author's prcvious published list (Viidalepp, 01' cit.), Following the 83 page checklist, two indices are provided, tbe first to higher categories, and the second t.o species group nalnes.

Th e region covered by Checklist of the Geometidae of the For­mer us, s. n, 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, Turkm enistan, 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 geomor­phic 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 ex­tralimital 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 includcd in the extralimital distribution but inconsistently so, Many well known holarctic geometrids such as Epirrhoe alternata (Miiller), Rheumaptem (Hydri([ ) IllUlulata (Linnaeus), and Ectropis crepuscularia (Denis and SchifTermUller) 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 Ilemithea aestivaria (Hiibner) are not acknowledged to occur on the North American continent.

The geometrid hmna 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 aI. , 1983, Check List of the Lepidopter'a of A,nerica North of Mexico, E. W, Classey, Ltd" London, England, 284 pp, ): Archiearine (4/2), Alsophilinae (Oenoehrominae sensu lato, part ) (14/3), Larentiinae (706/467), Sterrhinae (204/96), Ceometrinae (66/76) , Ennominae (4881760 ), and Ortbostixinae (4/0 ), At lcast some of the genera included in the last subfamily by Viidalepp anc! others might be more appropriately placed in the En nominae but their placement remains unresolved and they cannot be included in a strict concept of Oenoch rominac (sec Miiller, B" 1996, Ceometridae pp, 218-249 In 0, 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 Ceometridae, Subfamilies Oenochrominae, Desmobathrinae and Geometrinae, Malayan l\ature Journal 49: 147-326, published by Southdene Sdn, Bhd" Kuala Lumpur, MalaYSia), The total geometrid fauna catalogued by Viidalepp (1486

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sequentially numbered entries; doubtful records also included within the list but not numbered) is comparable to the total num ber of geometrid species in North America north of Mexico (1404), However in the Eurasian fauna the subfamilies Larentiinae and Sterrhinae are disproportionately represented as exernplifled 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 1.57 and 26 respectively), Although Viidalepp's checklist provides distributional information for each specics, an overview of faunistic affinities md biogeographie distributional patte rns within Eurasia is not provided.

It is unfOltunate 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 Geornetidae of the Former U.S,5.R were published since 1970 re­flecting considerable re(;ent systematiC effort cspecially in Asian countries, Species group and generic synonymies are incomplete and only selectively providcd, 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? J and "sp, n (in prep, )" , Even more tentative is larentiine species number l8E>: "G, nov, sp, n," listed in the tribe Cidariini, The tribe "Hierochthonii.ni (trib, n, )" appears on page 61 of the list and includes the geomdrine genera Hierochthonia Prout and Hissarica Viidalepp but without description of the new higher category.

In summary the Checklist of the Geometidae of the Fonner US,S,R is a distrihLltionallist 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 aiel of the Zoological Record, a good atlas, and the references provided, English speaking geometrid speCialists eagerly await additional faunistic and systematic publicatiOns treati ng the Geometridae foune within the fonner U.S,S.R.

GEORGE l 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 (incl, Orthostixini), subfamilies Oenochrominae, Desmobathrinae, Gco­metrinae, and Ennominae addenda, by Jeremy Daniel Holloway. 1996, Malayan NE.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, Soli cover, sewn binding, 17,9 x 25,3 cm" ISBN: 983-99915-3-1. Available £i'om Southdene Sdn, Bhd" P.O, Box 10139, ,50704 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Phone: 603-4022-2643; FA)(; 603-4022-2267; e-mail: hsbar@pcjaring,my; website: www,edi,co,uklbar!ow; Price $26,00, £1.8,00 (including surface mail overseas),

THE MOTHS OF BOIlNEO, Fmt 10, Farnily Ceometridae, subfamilies Sterrhinae , Larentiinae, and addenda to other subfamilies, by Je ­remy Daniel Holloway 1997. Malayan Nature Journal5l: 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 2.5,: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: 603-4022-2,~67; e-mail: hsbar@pc.jaring,my: website : www,edi,co,uk/barluw, 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 amhitious effort. Together with part 11 of the series (En­nominae, published in 1994), a fauna of 1079 species is treatcd, equivalent to approximately one-quarter of the estimated geometric!

VOLUME 54, NUylBER 3

fauna in the Oriental region. The author, Jeremy Holloway, has been working on the faunistics and biogeography of Indo-Australian Lc:p­idoptera 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 bio­geographic puzzle that has fascinated biogeographers since Alfred \\falbce. In a broad sense understanding the fauna of Borneo re­quires consideration of taxa that range from Africa to Oceanea, and from Austral.ia to the Himalayan region. Holloway'S contribution to the higher classification of the Geometridae as outlined in this series extends well beyond tbe region to the global level as evident in more recent systematic treatme nts of the family (see Minet, J. & M. J Scobie, 1999, The Drepanoid / Geometroid Asscmhlage , pp. .301-.320, In N. P. Kristensen (ed,), Handhook oJ Zoology, Volwne TV Arthropoda: [a secta, Part 35 Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies, Volume 1. t:.vollltion , SI/stematies, and Biogeography , \Valter de Gruyter, Berlin and New York, and Scobie, M. J (ed.) , >vi. S. Par­sons , M. R. Honey, L. M. Pitkin , & B. R. Pitkin, 1999, Geometrid Moths oj the World. a Catalogue (Lepidoptera, Geonwtririae), CSIHO Publishing and Apollo Books in association with The Nat­ural HistOlY Museum, London, England; Collingwood, Australia and Stenstrup, D e nmark, 2 volullws). Of the J 079 species of Geometridae treated in The Moths or Borneo series, 17% are newly descrihcd, J 1 % contribute new syno'nymy, and4% are revived frorn synonymy. The lowland forests of Borneo harbor many e ndemic species and thc upper montane forests arc rich in endcmic Larenti­inae, espeCially tlIP tribe Trichopterygini.

Parts 9 and 10 of The Moths oj Borneo are similar in format. The introductioll of part 9 is a world revicw of the Family group names preViously ref'erred to subfamilies Oenochrominae sensu lato and Geometrinae as well as a discussion or the c:lassincation of'these sub­Lunilies. The introduction of part 10 includes a synopsis of the di­versity of' Bornean Geometridae with analysis of ecological and bio­geographiC affinities. A brief sectioll utTering a telltatiVf' classification of the world Geometridae f()llows. Family group names alld subfamily classification are reviewed in the systematic accounts of the Sterrhinae and Larcntiinae .

\Vithin the systematic accounts eaell genus is cited with its au ­thor, type species (including type locality), and synonyms. A gcneric 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 summari7.ed. Particularly f()r new or revived genera, extralirn ­ital taxa are listed as new combinations. Species accounts include synonymy, citation of original descriptions, diagnosis, taxonomic notes, geographical distribution, hahitat 110tps, and where known, bi­ology and larval hosts. Recent systematic and biological literature is often cited and considerable biological information is published here for the nrst time. The total number of new taxa published in parts 9 and ]0 attest to Holloway's "Hart to document tbe fauna (22 genera, 108 species , and 3 subspeCies ). At the conclusion of each part useful appendices include lists of new taxa, !lew com hi nations , new synonyms, and status changes and revivals. Finally, a checklist of Bornean taxa is prOVided and annotated with general distribution and habitat informatioll. The checklists serve as indices to thee pages 011 which species accounts appear, a general index is not provided. The extensivp literature cited should appeal to the geometrid biblio­phile.

With the exception of thc first fom figures of part 9 (line draw­lngs of wing venatioll) and the first two text figures of part JO, all fig­ures are photographs of male and female genitalia. Legends are listed separately in the pages that precede the genitalia figures. The genitalia photographs vmy in size and are arranged in a loose "cut and paste" format. Figures arE' not always sequentially Ilumbered. Quality 01' the preparations and clarity of the photographs varies. Ce ntral 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 fl'equently thc aedca­gus is not illnstrated or only the male genitalia are figured even

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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 linc draWings can selve 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 lS difficult to judge color fidelity without specimens for comparison. Some plates of the green geometlids in part 9 appear color shifted toward blue or show reRections (perhaps attrihutable to scale wear) ancl many plates of part ]() are dominated by yellow tints. Specime ns depicted on the co.lor cove r of part 10 appear crisper and sbow better color balance than photographs of the same specimens on the corresponding plates.

For the remainder or this review 1 will ove lview Holloway'S con­tribution to geometrid systematiCS in The Moths oj Borneo at the subfamily, generic, and spccific levels.

Present higher classification of' the Geometridae is far from sat­isfactolY and requircs revision on a world basis. \Nhile it is accepted that traditional groups such as the Oenochrominae sensu lata are unnatural assemblages (see Minet & Scobie 1999, op. cit.), satishlc­tOly 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 thc 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 Sar­cil10des Guenee are included in the Oenochrominae sensu sticto. Holloway revives the suhfamily name Desmohathrinae to encom ­pass "delicately built 'oenochromine' genera with elongate, slender appendages." This subfamily includes a number of cosmopolitan mostly tropical genera placed in the tribe Desrnobathrini and the monobasic Indo-Australian tribe Eumeleini. Two genera, Heteralex vVarren, and Naxa Walker, traditionally referred to Oenochrominae are tentatively transferred to Ennominae with the latter genus (along with Orthostixis Hubner) included in the tribe Orthostixini. The larvae of Naxa are colonial and known to feed on Oleaceae with the larvae and pupae suspended in exte nsive silken webs. In part 10 Holloway publishes new biological information regarding Naxa gut­tulata Warren obselvcd 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 'oenocilromine' family group namcs Holloway concludes the Holarctic genus Alsophila Hiibner should be placed in a separate subfamily, Alsophilinae, a decision ac­cepted by 'v1inet and Scobie (1999, oV cit. ).

The GeometrinatC of Indo-Australia include groups quite unfa­rniliar to Lepidopterists of the Northe rn Ile rnisplrere. Holloway re­taillS the robust bodied "posematic moths of the genus Dljsphania Hubner within the subfamily but emphaSizes the distance of this unique group from the remainde r of the Geonwtrinae by dividing the subfamily into two tribes , Dysphaniini and Geometrini. In turn it is proposed, though with some reservation, that all gcometrine family groups other than Dysphaniini be aSSigned as suhtrihes 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 Stcrrhinae should be more familiar to northern Lepidopter ists with the genera Scopula Schrank, Idaea Tre itschk", and Cyclophom Hubner well represented. Holloway re­views evidence for viewing the sterrhines as two hroad lineages (Timandrini / Cosymbinii and Scopulini / Sterrhini / Rhodostrophi­inil based on characters of both the adult and early stages. He fur­ther argues for inclusion of the Neotropical tribe Cyllopodini in the tatter lineagc, alld places the Old World tribe Rhodometrini in the fonner, at least in his phylogenetiC diagram (Part 10, Fig. 2)

Given the absence of many recognized tribes of Larentiinae in the tropics , TT olloway's discussion of higher classification of this sub­fllmily is less inclusive. It is suggested that the Trichoptelygini may represent a sister group for the remainder of the Larentiinae. Four Australian and Oriental larentiine genera (two newly described by

104

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 Scobie et al. (1999. op.cit.), restricting the definition of previously large and overly inclusive genera such as the larentiine genus Chloroclystis Hubner based on study of a regional bmna may strand unstudied extralimital taxa not corresponding to new generic concepts. Holloway both revived and erected new genera in his t reatmcnt of Chloroclystis sensu lata and reassigned many lndo­Australian species. Some reassignments are hasty and seem prema­ture. For example, cight species are formally transferred to the lar­entiine genus Basara Walker without study of the genitalia even though Holloway admits final placement awaits confirmation by dis­section. A number of un placed species now reside in the provisional genus "Chloroclljstis" of the ScobIe, 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 induding 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 arc illustrated. A num bel' of new species and genera arc described in the absence of deSCription and

JO URN AL OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY

illustration or even mention of the male aedeagus. This frequently occurs in the grccn 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 unde­scribed species. Although synonymies are listed for each species, useful type inhmmtion such as type locality, repositOly, condition, sex, and lectotype designation is frequently lacking. Unless other­,vise noted, holotypes of species described in The Moths of Borneo are deposited in 'J'Le Natural HistOlY Museulll.

Holloway rejeds 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 tbe ScobIe catalog for the geometrid fauna of the world, a conve­nience that I sincerely hope will become standard practice.

I cannot overst ress the ambitious nature of the project Jeremy Holloway has undertaken. Rorneo 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 libraJY. The parts treating the Geometridae are of particular valu e to geometrid speCialists worldwide and will inform and inspire future systematic efforts.

GEOHGE J. BALOGH, 6275 Lileolier; Portage, Michigan 49024, USA

Date of Issue (Vol. 54, No.3): 25 September 200]