Author : Richard E. Blackwelder
Publisher : Forgotten Books
Page : 492 pages
File Size : 19,72 MB
Release : 2015-07-16
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781331528586
Book Description
Excerpt from The Generic Names of the Beetle Family Staphylinidae: With an Essay on Genotypy The study of this family, as far as all aspects except the description of new forms are concerned, has been relatively neglected. This has been due largely to the difficulties that do actually accompany such study. The difficulties are the small average size of the individuals and the unusual lack of readily observable characters in some sections. These have been real difficulties, as shown by the general belief among coleopterists that this is a difficult family and by the unsatisfactory condition of nearly all collections of the family. The study of all groups of beetles has suffered from a long series of difficulties arising from historical factors, inadequate knowledge of biological principles, and illogical sequence of investigations. The early development of classification systems based upon single strue tures, such as the tarsi or the trophi, tended to blind students to other structures and to prevent a consideration of the relative importance of other characters. In most groups in which there has been any study of comparative anatomy, or any unbiased search for characters throughout the body with evaluation of relative stability, these have come long after a classification had been established. In most cases the implications of the morphological study have not been followed by the taxonomists in the classification and definition of the groups. However, in the families where the individuals are of fairly large size much more work has been done; the sheer number of works in volved, the greater ease of seeing characters, and the cumulative effect of the small corrections that are being made constantly have resulted in a reasonable approach to the classification that might have been reached earlier by a more scientific approach. This is, of course, only relatively true, but in many families the current classification is satis factory in its broad aspects, and most of the groups have been defined in a usable manner. In the Staphylinidae, on the other hand, there has been practically no change in classification or definition since 1840, almost no satis factory definitions exist for genera or any higher groups, and the many problems of validation, synonymy, homonymy, errors of various kinds, genotypes, and all the difficulties of a relatively unassimilated but voluminous literature have frequently not only remained unsolved but have been greatly complicated by continuing inadequate work, which only serves to increase the difficulties. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.