GEOMETRID MOTHS OF THE WORLD: A CATALOGUE. Edited by M. J. Scoble. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria. 1999. Pp. 1200 in 2 volumes plus CD-ROM. $US295.00 (hardcover). ISBN 0643 06034 8.

Abstract

Geometridae is one of the three most species-rich families in Lepidoptera. It currently includes over 21 000 species, for which there are more than 35 000 published names. Geometrids have a global distribution and comprise a significant proportion of the biota on every continent, both in terms of species richness and numbers of individuals. Their herbivorous larvae have a major ecological impact, in both temperate and tropical regions, as consumers of leaves, particularly those of trees and shrubs. Their adults and larvae are also an important food resource for a large number of vertebrate and invertebrate predators and parasitoids. However, until now, there was no complete published inventory of this immense diversity. The data were drawn initially from the extensive card indexes held in The Natural History Museum, London (BMNH) and entered into a database (or ‘Global Taxonomic Facility’). Information for genus-group taxa was derived from the enhanced electronic version of volume 3 of Generic Names of Moths of the World, developed at the BMNH by Brian Pitkin and Paul Jenkins, whereas that for species-group taxa was entered directly from the index cards. The geometrid card index was based on data collated by Louis Beethoven Prout in the first four decades of the twentieth century. It was further developed in the 1960s and 1970s by D. S. Fletcher and colleagues, who incorporated considerable additional information, much of which was the result of their own curatorial research. Further details were also added during the compilation of the current catalogue. In particular, almost all of the original descriptions were examined, which enabled verification of nomenclatural data. Information was also assimilated from a number of unpublished sources, the most important of which was the card index itself. As a result, this catalogue contains many previously unpublished synonymies and generic combinations. However, due to time constraints, the authors considered it impossible to identify and flag these changes. Instead, they ‘trust that users will appreciate that having access to the information now is preferable to awaiting it for many years’. I find this attitude rather presumptuous, but entirely understandable given the prevailing perceived socio-scientific need to render a large amount of taxonomic data available quickly. The catalogue is ordered alphabetically by genus. An alphabetical order was chosen as the most efficient for data retrieval. Data on generic names comprise author, date of publication, reference, type species (but not its method of fixation) and subfamily assignment (Alsophilinae, Archiearinae, Desmobathrinae, Ennominae, Geometrinae, Larentiinae, Oenochrominae, Orthostixinae and Sterrhinae). The same data (except subfamily assignment) are also provided for junior generic synonyms. Homonyms and emendations are included, but misidentifications, incorrect subsequent spellings and rejected names are not (other than when there is uncertainty over their status). However, most collections, including that of the BMNH, are arranged in at least some semblance of a phylogenetic sequence. In order that such information is made available to other collection managers, a list of genera as they appear in the BMNH collection is included as an appendix. Within genera, species and subspecies are also arranged alphabetically (although the nominotypical subspecies always precedes any other), as are their respective junior synonyms. Although the authors express doubts as to the utility of the subspecies concept in Geometridae, subspecies are not uncritically synonymized. Known, infrasubspecific, unavailable names are excluded. However, those names of uncertain status (mostly due to problems regarding the correct nomenclatural interpretation of the terms ‘variety’ and ‘form’) are included. In keeping with a number of other recent major catalogues and checklists of Lepidoptera, the original spellings of species-group names are accepted as valid. The application of the ‘gender agreement rule’ has been particularly pernicious in Geometridae, where changes of the endings ‘-aria’ and ‘-ata’ have given rise to a large number of emendations, which have had to be included in the current catalogue because they are available names. For each species-group name, the following data are provided: author, date, original description reference, original generic combination, type status, sex, depository and type locality. The type locality is often interpreted to include additional information, which is extremely useful where the original data were either imprecise or out of date. However, time did not permit absolute consistency of citation. Data on larval hostplants are added where known, derived from the HOSTS database being compiled at the BMNH. The inclusion of such data in a taxonomic catalogue might be questioned, but the authors (and this reviewer) consider that such information is a useful addition to the work. The two volumes are divided between ‘H’ and ‘I’, with continuous pagination. Each volume is provided with a copy of the index for ease of reference. The index comprises all genus- and species-group names, and their authorship, with accepted names distinguished from synonyms by emboldening. There is also an accompanying CD-ROM, to which no reference is made in the printed catalogue, giving it the strong appearance of an afterthought. Discovering what information the CD-ROM contains, and how to access it, proved difficult because no summary documentation or installation instructions are provided. The README files, where I would expect to find such information, contain only the copyright declarations of The Natural History Museum. Having steered my way through a plethora of files and folders (which, confusingly, often have the same name, GEOMETRI), I found that the CD-ROM actually contains only two items, albeit formatted for several operating systems (Macintosh; Windows 3.x, 95/98 and NT4.x). The first is a word processor file (MS Word, Word 6 and RTF) that appears initially to be a copy of the index of the printed catalogue. However, the CD-ROM list lacks page number references and the emboldening that distinguishes accepted from synonymous names. Thus, although I could search for a genus or species name and confirm its spelling, to find out anything else, I would have to look it up again in the index of the printed catalogue. The second item is an elegantly presented application by ‘Intuition Consulting & Urban Aspect’ entitled ‘Welcome to the wonderful world of… Geometridae’. This application should be installed onto a hard drive (with at least 42 Mb free space) because direct accessing from the CD-ROM is quite slow. The ‘wonderful world’ comprises fifty-nine colour pictures of geometrids, thirty-nine living moths and twenty pinned specimens. No information is provided other than the name and author of the species (where known; ten are of undetermined species). Additional data, such as locality information, which would have been welcome, are lacking. Neither is any explanation provided for the choice of taxa. I thus do not understand the purpose of this CD-ROM. The list of species names and authors contains less information than the index of the printed catalogue, which must anyway be consulted if further information on a given name is to be found. The database version of the catalogue would have been infinitely more useful but I suspect the threat of piracy precluded that possibility. As for the pictures, to be sure they are very pretty, but that is all. I suspect many users of this catalogue will look at them only once. The CD-ROM aside, however, this catalogue is a masterpiece of taxonomic scholarship. Its primary purpose, ‘to provide a substantial body of taxonomic information, much of it previously unpublished, on the available names of a large group of invertebrates’, is undeniably achieved. This catalogue is an indispensable tool for all systematists whose work involves Geometridae. However, it also has a secondary purpose, which is ‘to respond constructively to the demand for systematists to find ways… of providing taxonomic data of this magnitude within a relatively short timespan’. For this, a team approach was essential. Thus, in addition to the editor, the considerable input of Mark Parsons, Martin Honey, Linda and Brian Pitkin to this project cannot be overstated. This team is to be commended, not only for undertaking such a massive (and some might say daunting) task, but also for completing it in so timely and accurate a manner. In so doing, they have produced a work of outstanding quality and of a standard that will be difficult to match. Furthermore, this catalogue, which was five years in production, includes 1% of all currently recognized species. Thus, it requires only 200 such tomes (or 100 of these double volumes) to complete the ‘passenger list for Spaceship Earth’ referred to by John Lawton in the foreword.