Book Description

Part 1 of The Butterflies of Venezuela was a pioneering work of its kind for South America, being the first authoritative volume in a comprehensive faunistic identification series. The series will prove invaluable to all who wish to learn about the remarkable and diverse butterfly fauna of this country and continent. Approximately 1000 species of adult Nympbalidae, Papilionidae, and Pieridae will be treated in the four-part series, equivalent to over one-third of the total Neotropical species in these families. Drawing on over 20 years of personal research in the field, in collections, and in libraries, the detailed accounts for each species encapsulate all that is known about their identification, distribution, behaviour, habitat, and foodplants. The text, which has been written to appeal to specialists and amateurs alike, has been collated from a wealth of published and unpublished sources. It includes extensive commentary on the systematics and nomenclature employed, and provides detailed notes designed to permit the easy identification of every Venezuelan butterfly. General notes on early stages are provided in the introduction to each genus, and where available those of one representative species are fully described. Readers also benefit from the inclusion of an extensive bibliography, which in Part 2 alone comprises almost 800 works fully referenced in the text. Unlike many other guides, the photographic colour plates illustrate every subspecies, generally showing both sexes and wing surfaces for each, plus several representative specimens for highly variable taxa. In addition, a large number of type specimens are reproduced, many of them for the first time. Part 1 cover 276 species including 2 new species and 23 new subspecies. Part 2 treats 196 species incl. 355 subspecies and the colour plates figures over 450 type specimens. 8 new species and 95 new spubspecies are described. 4 neotypes and 10 lectopypes are designated. Part 3 is projected to treat the Papilionidae, Brassolinae, Danainae, and first part of Satyrinae (Pronophilina and Erebiina). Part 4 will cover the family Pieridae and the remaining Satyrinae and Heliconiinae.